Bayeux Tapestry loan labelled ‘heritage crime’ amid damage concerns

An online petition has described the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to England as a “heritage crime” amid concerns transportation will damage the “extremely fragile” artwork.

The 70-metre tapestry, which is more than 900 years old, will arrive in the UK at the British Museum next year on loan from France.

It depicts the battle which saw William The Conqueror take the English throne from Harold Godwinson and become the first Norman king of England.

The loan comes as the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy is set to close on Monday for renovation works, with its reopening scheduled for October 2027.

It is part of a cultural exchange announced by French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer when they met in London in July – with the British Museum set to loan the Sutton Hoo collection, the Lewis Chessmen and other items to France in return for the tapestry.

But in France, voices from the art and conservation fields have called on Mr Macron to abandon the project over concerns the transportation would cause irreparable damage to the tapestry.

Art historian and former agronomist Didier Rykner, who launched the online petition in July, said the loan “would be a true heritage crime”.

He wrote in the petition: “In spite of its name, (the Bayeux Tapestry) is in fact embroidery work stitched into a 70 metres long and 50cm tall linen cloth.

“Its preservation, despite the many vicissitudes it went through, is nothing short of a miracle. We have inherited it.

“It is one of the major works of humanity’s history, which we must preserve at all costs for future generations.

“But this embroidery is extremely fragile. Conservation professionals specialised in textile say so.

“Their conclusion is final: any kind of transportation, even minimal, presents a risk.

“Just five months ago, even though the president had expressed his intention to lend the tapestry to England as early as 2018, this scenario was considered unthinkable.

A cultural exchange was announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron when they met in London in July (Benjamin Cremel/PA). PA Media

“But Emmanuel Macron has decided otherwise.

“Against the advice of specialists, he has chosen to send the tapestry to England, from September 2026 to July 2027.

“This disregard for the facts and this arbitrary decision pose serious threats to the artwork.”

As of Sunday, the petition has garnered 65,595 signatures.

Philippe Belaval, who was appointed by Mr Macron as his envoy for the loan, rejected the claims last week, adding a study in early 2025 made detailed recommendations about handling and transport.

“This study absolutely does not state that this tapestry is untransportable,” Mr Belaval told the AFP news agency.

“We have not yet determined 100% how to transport the tapestry – the main assumption involves road transport by lorry.

“The ministry of culture is conducting a further study on the tapestry’s resistance to vibrations and the possibility of eliminating them during transport to ensure safe transportation.”

The tapestry will be displayed in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery of the British Museum from September next year until July 2027.

Further details of the exhibition will be announced by the British Museum in due course, with the loan set to form part of a season of culture in 2027 celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William The Conqueror, and the Grand Depart of the 2027 Tour de France from the UK.