King Charles and Macron view Bayeux Tapestry at British Museum

London, United Kingdom. King Charles and French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum on Wednesday, marking the embroidery’s first return to English soil since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago.

Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by Macron and his wife, as well as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to view the 70-metre tapestry depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England.

Reciprocal loan agreement

The tapestry has been loaned by the French government from its home in northern France under an agreement with the British Museum.

In return, Britain will loan the Sutton Hoo Treasure, a collection of gold and other historic objects from the 7th century AD, along with selected Lewis chess pieces and other works belonging to the Trustees of the British Museum, to museums in France.

The arrangement was confirmed in July during Macron’s state visit to Britain and has been presented as a symbol of closer ties between the two countries following tensions linked to Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union.

Shared history

During the visit, the royal and presidential parties examined scenes including the coronation of Harold Godwinson and his death by an arrow at the Battle of Hastings.

Macron said the exchange of historic treasures was an important gesture towards common understanding. “When our societies doubt, we need places and works of art to look together at what humanity is capable of creating and passing on,” he said.

Charles said the tapestry and the treasures travelling in return should stand as symbols of both countries’ shared past and shared future.

Medieval record

Historians believe the embroidery was likely commissioned by William I’s brother, Bishop Odo, and stitched by English seamstresses in Kent. It recounts the events leading to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman defeat of Anglo-Saxon King Harold II.

Every English monarch since William, including Charles, can trace their lineage to him. The Norman conquest was the last successful invasion of England, and 1066 remains one of the country’s most widely recognised historical dates.

The first batch of tickets for the exhibition, priced at up to £33, sold out, generating nearly £2.5 million ($3.4 million) and making it the British Museum’s best-selling exhibition.