The Bayeux Tapestry is too delicate to be moved without risking permanent damage, according to French experts. A petition urging President Emmanuel Macron to reconsider the decision to loan the historic artifact to Britain has now gathered over 60,000 signatures.
Macron announced in July that the nearly 1,000-year-old, 70-meter-long wool-on-linen artwork—which depicts William the Conqueror’s victory over England’s King Harold II at Hastings in 1066—would be sent to the UK next year.
From September 2026, the tapestry is expected to be displayed for nine months at the British Museum, whose director, Nicholas Cullinan, described it as a crucial piece of shared British and French history.
However, conservators with experience working on the embroidery argue it is far too fragile to transport. A campaign organizer against the loan claims Macron disregarded nearly unanimous expert advice in favor of a political statement.
“I have no issue with the loan of cultural artifacts, and I’ve always appreciated the UK,” said Didier Rykner, editor of the art news website *La Tribune de l’Art*, whose petition against the loan has reached 62,000 signatures. “But this is purely political. This is an extraordinary artwork, a one-of-a-kind historical document—something with no equivalent. Experts overwhelmingly agree it cannot be moved. It’s not complicated.”
Macron first proposed lending the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain in 2018—after previous requests from London, including for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 and the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1966, were denied by France.
Initially, the loan was framed as a cultural overture to maintain ties between Britain and Europe amid Brexit tensions. However, strained cross-Channel relations during and after the negotiations delayed the plan.
The idea regained momentum as relations improved following the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, further encouraged by Keir Starmer’s EU policy shift. French officials stated that King Charles also played a key role, being personally supportive of the plan.
Yet, the agreement to celebrate Anglo-French reconciliation—which will also involve French museums displaying artifacts from Sutton Hoo and the Lewis Chessmen—overlooks longstanding concerns about the tapestry’s condition.
Housed in a purpose-built museum in Bayeux since 1983, the fabric has been significantly weakened by age. Experts also warn that its display method—hung from a rail rather than laid flat—has contributed to its deterioration.
Some of the strongest objections to the loan have come from current and former conservators who have worked on the tapestry. At least five, speaking anonymously, have expressed their concerns about the risks of moving it.
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