Loan of the Bayeux Tapestry, a symbol of Franco-British friendship United Kingdom Cultural diplomacy News Published on : September 03rd 2026 France and England share a thousand-year-old relationship and a historic figure in our collective imagination: William the Conqueror. His story is told in a work of art that is unique in the world, the Bayeux Tapestry, a nearly 70-metre-long embroidery using wool thread on linen cloth, made in the 11th century. The work is being loaned to the British Museum. Remarkably well-conserved, the Bayeux Tapestry is listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register and usually exhibited at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. While the museum is closed for renovations, the work is being loaned to the British Museum, a powerful symbol of the cooperation between our two countries. A comic to continue the story In honour of this exceptional bilateral relationship, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs developed a project for a comic, inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, that continues to tell the story of Franco-British friendship over the years. Ten pages look back on centuries of ties between our two countries. It highlights our shared linguistic roots, shared passion for sport, and cooperation all the way to the UN Security Council. A print of this comic on fabric will be exhibited during the upcoming European Heritage Days at the Quai d’Orsay. Come and see it on 19 and 20 September!