• The Bayeux Tapestry will return to the UK for the first time in over 900 years.
• The tapestry will be displayed at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027.
• This loan symbolizes the strengthening relationship between the UK and France post-Brexit.

France is set to lend the Bayeux Tapestry to the United Kingdom, marking a historical moment as this 11th-century masterpiece returns across the Channel for the first time in over 900 years. This announcement was made during President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK on July 8, 2025, coinciding with the celebration of closer ties between the nations following Brexit, according to BBC, Le Monde, and Reuters.

The tapestry, nearly 70 meters in length and illustrating the Norman invasion of England in 1066, will be exhibited at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027. This exhibition will coincide with the renovation of its current home at the Bayeux Museum in Normandy, which is expected to be completed by that time, according to BBC and Le Monde.

This cultural exchange will also involve the UK loaning significant Anglo-Saxon artifacts including metalworks from Sutton Hoo and the Lewis Chessmen to French museums, in a move described as a “symbol of our shared history” by UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, as reported by BBC and Reuters.

The loan agreement is seen as a culmination of efforts that began with Macron's proposal for such a cultural gesture back in 2018, symbolizing the deep-rooted connections between the histories of France and the UK, emphasizing that “the blood of Charles III is that of William the Conqueror,” remarked Hervé Morin, president of the Normandy administrative region, according to Le Monde and Reuters.