The White Cliffs of Dover have been lit up with a projection of the Bayeux Tapestry as the historic embroidery arrived in the UK.
The 70 metre long cloth – which tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England through embroidered scenes – was transported overnight from the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone to the British Museum overnight.
The White Cliffs of Dover have been lit up with projections thanking the French for loaning the Bayeux Tapestry to The British Museum. Picture: The British Museum
Kent Police and Metropolitan Police helped escort the 11th-century masterpiece through the county to London.
It is on loan from the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy, where it has been since 1983.
Now, breathtaking pictures show Kent’s iconic coastline used by the British Museum as a way of thanking the French for their loan of the tapestry.
The giant projection features three Norman boats with a large “Merci!” next to them.
This is then switched with “Merci Beaucoup” on a red background, then to “From Bayeux” on a blue background, and finally shifting to “to The British Museum” on the same red backdrop.
The loan has been described as “one of the most significant international museum loans ever undertaken between the two countries”.
Around 7.5 million people are expected to see the tapestry when it goes on display in London from September until July 2027.
The British Museum says demand for the “once-in-a-generation” exhibition has already been unprecedented.
Dr Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, said: “This has been a monumental effort from colleagues at the British Museum and our partners in the UK and France.
“Watching the tapestry arrive at the museum is a moment I will never forget, and I look forward to seeing the exhibition take shape over the coming weeks and welcoming the first visitors through our doors this September.”
The Bayeux Tapestry has arrived at the British Museum under police escort. Picture: The British MuseumThe Bayeux Tapestry was taken down from its home in Normandy last year ahead of its move this summer. Picture: Bayeux Museum
Over the past year, the museum has worked alongside colleagues from the Ministry of Culture, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and specialist transport company Hizkia to carefully plan the tapestry’s journey.
French president Emmanuel Macron has also said the loan demonstrates what the two countries “can achieve when they join forces”.
When general admission tickets went on sale last week, the museum recorded the biggest single day of ticket sales in its history, generating more than £2.4 million in the first 24 hours.
Over the coming weeks, the tapestry will undergo detailed condition checks before being carefully installed inside a custom-built showcase ahead of the exhibition opening.