Petition against France loaning Bayeux Tapestry to the UK reaches 72k signatures
People are concerned the 11th Century artefact could be damaged during transportation
The 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry is to be displayed in the British Museum in London from September 2026 to June 2027
Irina Wilhauk / Shutterstock
Some 72,000 people have signed a petition to halt France’s loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK, over fears that it is too fragile to be moved.
French art historian and founder of La Tribune de l'Art magazine, Didier Rykner, launched the petition, titled “No to the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry” on July 13, days after French President Emmanuel Macron promised to loan the medieval relic to the British Museum.
Mr Macron announced plans for the “cultural partnership” during his most recent state visit to the UK, and outlined plans for the 1,000-year-old tapestry to be displayed in London from September 2026 to June 2027. This time period coincides with the planned two-year closure of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy for renovation works.
The artefact, measuring nearly 70m long and 50cm high, already has some 24,000 stains, 30 tears, and missing pieces.
“Its preservation, despite the many vicissitudes it has experienced, is miraculous. We are its heirs. It is one of the major works of human history, which we must preserve at all costs for future generations… We therefore solemnly call upon the President of the Republic to abandon this project. This loan would be a veritable crime against our patrimony,” reads the petition statement.
The petition also cites warnings from textile restorers who say the displacement could further damage it. The tapestry, which depicts the exploits of William the Conqueror on embroidered linen, is also listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register and classified as a Historic Monument.
Thalia Bajon Bouzid, a curator and restorer of heritage textiles, described the structural condition of the canvas as “very fragile and truly worrying, which makes any handling extremely delicate,” during a lecture given in January 2023 at France’s Institut national du patrimoine.
If the loan goes ahead, this would be the tapestry’s first overseas journey in its modern history. It has twice been relocated to Paris, first by Napoleon and then by the Nazis.
Reassurance from the British Museum
The director of the British Museum, Nicholas Cullinan, wrote a letter to The Guardian addressing the growing concerns and ensuring the safe transportation of the tapestry.
“Since a partnership agreement was signed earlier this summer, experts on both sides of the Channel have been carrying out rigorous planning and due diligence to ensure the safe transport and conservation of the tapestry,” read the letter.
“This expert-led collaboration – supported for 12 years by one of our leading specialists on the Bayeux scientific committee – will guide every stage, including a full dry run of the journey,” Cullinan added.
The letter also explains that the British Museum plans to display the tapestry on a “state-of-the-art table” that will support its preservation and give visitors the chance to view the artefact in a “striking new way”.
‘Strengthening cultural and historical ties’
In exchange for the tapestry, France will receive historic relics from the UK, including the Lewis chessmen, the Sutton Hoo helmet, the Mold gold cape, and the Dunaverney flesh hook. These will be displayed in different towns around Normandy.
“This exchange represents one of the most significant cultural collaborations of recent times, strengthening British-French ties while safeguarding shared heritage for generations to come,” wrote Cullinan.
The Mayor of Bayeux, Patrick Gomont, alongside the President of the region of Normandy, Hervé Morin, have also expressed their support for the project.
