Once in a 1,000-year chance to see Bayeux Tapestry in England is a smash hit show
Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition at the British Museum
By Sarah Young
Unprecedented Demand for Tickets
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - The first tickets for the British Museum's exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry, sold out within hours, in what it called "an extraordinary response" to the 11th-century artwork being shown outside France for the first time in nearly 1,000 years.
The famous tapestry, depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England, is believed to have been made by English embroiderers, and its return home has so far netted the museum £2.5 million in sales, making it its best-selling show ever.
"The level of demand reflects the unique opportunity this exhibition brings," Nicholas Cullinan, director at the British Museum, said on Thursday, in a statement which said the online queue peaked at 80,000 people.
The Secret Journey of a Cultural Treasure
International Cooperation and Historical Significance
SECRET JOURNEY OF CULTURAL TREASURE
France confirmed that the London-based museum could borrow the tapestry last July during President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Britain as the guest of King Charles. The loan of such a cultural treasure is seen as a sign of closer ties between the countries after the discord caused by the 2016 Brexit vote.
The 70-metre-long tapestry is the product of an earlier period of Anglo-French discord, woven in the years after William the Conqueror, backed by a Norman-French army, took the English throne.
Exhibition Details and Logistics
It will be on display in London from September until July 2027 and there will be further releases of tickets later on this year, the museum said.
While the Bayeux Tapestry's precise origins are obscure, it has been in France for the last 950 years. It will be transported to England via the Channel Tunnel in the coming weeks, with details of exactly how the now fragile wool and linen tapestry will be moved kept secret.
Highlights of the Tapestry
The stitching's detailed depiction of the build-up to William's invasion at Hastings, and the brutal clash that followed against the army of Anglo-Saxon ruler King Harold, includes the scene of an arrow hitting Harold in the eye.
Display and Visitor Experience
A special glass container, which the British Museum believes is the world's longest showcase, has been made to display and protect the tapestry, and visitors will be able to view its entire length from above and also look at it up close.
(Reporting by Sarah YoungEditing by Gareth Jones)
