King Charles III of Great Britain, Queen Camilla, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attended a private viewing of the famous Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum. The 11th-century embroidered tapestry, depicting the Norman conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066, returned to British soil for the first time in almost a millennium.
Historians believe the carpet was created in England, probably Canterbury. However, for most of its existence it was kept in France. Now France has made this priceless 70-metre masterpiece available for 10 months, insuring it for 960 million euros. In return, the UK will hand over other unique artefacts to French museums in Rouen and Caen, including the Sutton Hoo treasure and the Lewis chess set.
Charles III couldn’t resist a joke. He said the tapestry reminded him “of the French side of his family’s history” — the monarch is a direct descendant of William the Conqueror. The last time the king saw this artifact was in 1987 with Princess Diana. But then he had to fly to Normandy for this. Now he examined the carpet already in the status of a monarch and on his native soil.
