Overview
- The Bayeux Tapestry arrived in London after a covert, police‑escorted overnight journey that crossed the Channel Tunnel and ended at the British Museum on Friday, July 10, 2026.
- Transport teams used a purpose‑built climate‑ and vibration‑controlled crate sitting in a shock‑absorbing outer cage to carry the roughly 70‑metre embroidered linen on an 11‑hour, 350‑mile trip from northern France.
- Museum staff said the tapestry will remain in its travelling case for several days to acclimatise and undergo detailed condition checks before curators and conservators install it flat in a custom raised glass case.
- Demand has been enormous with the British Museum recording its biggest single day of ticket sales when general admission opened, and the work is covered by an £800 million government indemnity.
- The loan was negotiated at state level as a diplomatic gesture and is paired with planned British loans to Normandy, but conservation experts and campaigners had warned that moving the tear‑and‑hole‑damaged embroidery carries added risk.