The Bayeux Tapestry, the near-1,000-year-old embroidery chronicling the Norman Conquest, is set to be insured for a staggering £800 million when it travels to the UK next year. The cover will be indirectly backed by the British taxpayer under a government scheme, paving the way for a landmark exhibition at the British Museum.
A Taxpayer-Backed Masterpiece
The Government Indemnity Scheme, an alternative to costly commercial insurance, will underwrite the priceless artefact. A Treasury spokesperson confirmed the scheme allows public museums to borrow high-value works, saving an estimated £81m in premiums. The cover will protect the 70-metre-long tapestry against damage or loss during its transfer from France and throughout its ten-month display in London.
The Financial Times first reported the Treasury's provisional approval of the £800m valuation. The tapestry, which depicts William the Conqueror's victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is currently housed at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy. It will be loaned to the British Museum while its French home undergoes renovation, with reopening scheduled for October 2027.
Logistics and Controversy
Preparations for the tapestry's safe journey are meticulous. A detailed Franco-British agreement stipulates the use of a special crate and a test run with a replica before the real artefact is moved. Despite these precautions, some French art and conservation experts have voiced strong dissent, urging President Emmanuel Macron to cancel the loan over fears transportation could cause irreparable harm.
Security and protection are paramount concerns in the UK, given recent activist attacks on artworks. Incidents include protests targeting Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Constable's The Hay Wain. The British Museum has confirmed the tapestry will be displayed behind a protective screen, similar to the bespoke glass case used in Normandy.
A Blockbuster Cultural Exchange
This historic loan is part of a major cultural exchange. In return, the British Museum will send artefacts including the Sutton Hoo collection and the Lewis Chessmen to France. Former Chancellor and British Museum chair George Osborne has heralded the upcoming exhibition as potentially "the blockbuster show of our generation."
The Bayeux Tapestry will be on public display at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027, offering a rare chance for UK audiences to witness this seminal piece of medieval history on home soil.
