By William James and Muvija M
LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) – The Bayeux Tapestry has arrived in Britain for the first time in nearly 1,000 years ahead of a sell-out exhibition at the British Museum, travelling under police escort during a meticulously choreographed journey from France.
The 70-metre (230-foot) embroidery, which depicts the 1066 Norman conquest of England, was transported in an air-conditioned, anti-vibration crate under French police escort to the Eurotunnel before crossing the Channel. It was then handed over to British authorities for the final leg of its journey to London.
The transfer was made possible by what the French government described as “unprecedented logistical and security means”, developed over more than a year by the two governments.
The medieval masterpiece, believed to have been made by English embroiderers, has already generated nearly £2.5 million ($3.3 million) in ticket sales, making it the museum’s best-selling exhibition.
France confirmed the loan last July during President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Britain as a guest of King Charles. The transfer of the cultural treasure is seen as a symbol of closer ties between the countries after the discord caused by Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union.
“This … is a gesture of trust, a tangible expression of a long-standing friendship and a sign of our shared desire to see France and the United Kingdom build their future together,” Macron wrote in the Times newspaper.
The tapestry itself is the product of an earlier period of Anglo-French rivalry, embroidered in the years after William the Conqueror, backed by a Norman army, seized the English throne.
“Make no mistake — this is an historic moment and a significant act of friendship as we welcome this iconic historical tapestry back to Britain,” British culture minister Lisa Nandy said in a statement released by the museum.
“Watching the Tapestry arrive at the Museum is a moment I will never forget,” British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan said in the statement.
The tapestry will undergo condition checks before being installed within a custom-built showcase ahead of the exhibition’s September 10 opening.
($1 = 0.7446 pounds)
(Reporting by William James and Muvija M; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Ros Russell)
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