The Bayeux tapestry, a 70-meter-long linen and wool embroidery depicting William the Conqueror’s victory over King Harold II of England at Hastings in 1066, is so fragile that moving it could risk irreparable damage, according to French experts. A petition urging French President Emmanuel Macron to reverse his decision to loan the artwork to Britain has exceeded 60,000 signatures. Macron declared in July that the nearly 1,000-year-old artwork would be transported to the British Museum, where it will be displayed for nine months starting September 2026. Museum curators and restorers who have worked on the tapestry say that it is too fragile to be transported.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/30/emmanuel-macron-bayeux-tapestry-loan-british-museum-petition
