France will loan the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry to London’s British Museum, marking the first time the celebrated 70-metre embroidery has crossed the Channel in more than 900 years. President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the agreement at the start of his state visit to the United Kingdom, which began on 8 July and includes meetings with King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Under the accord, the tapestry depicting the 1066 Norman conquest will be displayed in a special exhibition running from September 2026 to June 2027 while its home institution, the Bayeux Museum in Normandy, undergoes renovation. The British Museum has committed to stringent conservation conditions on lighting, temperature and humidity to protect the fragile linen-and-wool work. The loan forms part of a broader cultural exchange. In return, UK museums will send artefacts from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo burial and items such as the 12th-century Lewis Chessmen to venues in Caen and Rouen. British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and her French counterpart Rachida Dati are expected to sign the formal agreement later this week, with both governments describing the swap as a gesture of renewed Franco-British cooperation in the post-Brexit era.