Buckingham Palace has confirmed a momentous meeting between the King, Queen, Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron at the British Museum this afternoon.
The Bayeux Tapestry has now arrived on British soil for the first time in its nearly 1,000-year existence, marking an extraordinary moment in Anglo-French cultural relations.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla are today viewing the medieval masterpiece at the British Museum alongside President Macron and his wife Brigitte.
Mr Burnham and his wife Marie-France Van-Heel are also present for the landmark occasion.
Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister said the return of the iconic piece is a “landmark moment” that will “give communities across the UK the opportunity to learn about one of the defining stories of our past.”
“As we celebrate our shared heritage, President Macron and I will continue to strengthen the relationship between our two nations,” he added.
France’s decision to loan the iconic piece – which chronicles the events surrounding the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066 – represents the culmination of a bilateral cultural agreement between London and Paris.
The British Museum’s director, Dr Nicholas Cullinan, and its chairman, George Osborne, will greet the distinguished party upon arrival.
Inside the Salisbury Exhibition Gallery, the royal and presidential couples are walking the full length of the tapestry alongside the Prime Minister and Mrs Van-Heel, pausing at pivotal scenes depicted in the medieval work.
Museum curators are guiding the King and Queen through the embroidery’s most significant moments.
Among the highlights being pointed out are the crowning of Harold Godwinson as King of England and his famous death – struck by an arrow during the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
The tapestry famously illustrates the chain of events that led William, Duke of Normandy, to launch his conquest of England, forever altering the course of British history.
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Once the viewing concludes, Their Majesties will proceed to the museum’s Great Court, where they will be joined by representatives from both nations who played a role in facilitating this unprecedented loan.
Schoolchildren from British and French schools will also be present for the occasion.
King Charles and President Macron are expected to deliver remarks together, celebrating the tapestry’s historic journey across the Channel.
The event stands as a powerful symbol of the enduring bond between two great nations, brought together by a shared appreciation for the treasures of European civilisation.
The roots of this significant exchange trace back to July 2025, when President Macron and his wife undertook a State Visit to the UK, per the King’s invitation.
It was during that trip that the then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the French President unveiled a new cultural accord between the two countries.
The agreement’s centrepiece was the first-ever loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum.
In return, Britain committed to sending prized artefacts from the Sutton Hoo burial to France in a reciprocal gesture befitting two nations whose histories have been intertwined for a millennium.
Dr Cullinan said the museum has been “committed to making this a significant cultural moment for the whole of the UK”.
“The Bayeux Around Britain programme will help to ensure that this once-in-a-generation exhibition is not confined to London but is accessible to tens of millions of people across the country,” he explained.
“It is the most ambitious and inclusive programme we or any museum in the UK has ever done”
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