The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition in London opened Thursday to much fanfare, in what British newspaper the Times has dubbed “Tapestry-mania,” with more than 100,000 tickets already sold.
The tapestry is on loan from France, and comes after years of diplomacy, with the move being seen as a symbol of close ties between Paris and London. It is thought to be the first time the tapestry has gone on display outside of France.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the tapestry’s loan a “return,” while King Charles III hailed the move as a “precious symbol of trust at a time when trust seems sadly to be in short supply between nations.”
The work is believed to have been made in England nearly 1,000 years ago before finding its way to Bayeux, now located in the French region of Normandy.
Two previous attempts to loan the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK were unsuccessful. Once was in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and again in 1966 for the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, which is depicted on the tapestry.
What is the Bayeux Tapestry?
The Bayeux Tapestry is a 70-meter long artwork, which is thought to be incomplete, depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
Norman forces led by William the Conqueror were able to defeat and dethrone King Harold Godwinson in a campaign culminating in victory at the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry famously depicts Harold being shot in the eye with an arrow, as he is said to have died — admittedly in what modern historians believe is likely a myth or artistic exaggeration.
This conquest was a crucial contributing moment in the establishment of what would become England and later the British Empire and the UK. It was the last of several successful foreign invasions of England in a millennium, and turned out to be the last one for a millennium
The conquest also added the final core ingredient, French, to the linguistic melting pot that produced the modern English language.
The embroidered cloth, which has brief Latin titles captioning its 58 scenes, is widely accepted to have been made in England as a tribute to William after his victory. It was then transported to his family home in Normandy.
The Bayeux Tapestry will be on display at London’s British Museum until next July.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
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