This iconic artefact arrived at the British Museum in central London on July 10 and 7.5 million Brits are expected to snap up tickets to see the historical cloth in person
The Bayeux Tapestry is finally back on English soil after more than 900 years and people can’t wait to see it in London. The cloth, which depicts the Battle of Hastings in 1066, arrived in secrecy at the British Museum in the early hours of Friday morning.
Around 70 metres long and 50 centimetres tall, the iconic embroidered artefact documents the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy and is believed to have been made in England as a humorous propaganda piece. The Bayeux Tapestry features a staggering 58 scenes, 626 characters and 202 horses.
When general admission tickets went on sale last week, the museum recorded the single biggest day of ticket sales in its history, generating more than £2.4 million in sales in the first 24 hours. Over the coming weeks the tapestry will undergo condition checks before being carefully installed within a custom showcase ahead of the exhibition opening. Around 7.5 million people are expected to pay the work a visit.
“Will you be viewing the Bayeux Tapestry?” asked an excited Reddit user in response to the arrival of the historical masterpiece.
“I’m well looking forward,” another person commented. “Sat in an online queue this morning for nearly an hour to get tickets for a date in October.”
A second person declared: “Heck yea! I got membership to ensure I got a ticket and I am going in September! Saw it in France and it was amazing. I even taught myself the tapestry’s style of embroidery.”
A third exclaimed: “100%. I’m a British Museum member, so booked my tickets a couple weeks ago. Excited to see it, even though it’s going to be rammed. Really one to enjoy and soak in, since you won’t be able to take a single picture without someone’s head in the way.”
While a fourth said: “Got my ticket today, was in an a queue for 6 hours. The tapestry is about us, Britons, what we wore, ate, played and fought 1000 years ago. Everyone should go see it.”
The British Museum said of it’s new addition online: “It is the first time the tapestry has been displayed in the UK since it was made almost 1,000 years ago – and is expected to be one of the most popular events in the Museum’s history.”
Meanwhile, museum director, Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE added: “The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most important cultural artefacts from the Medieval world and has been a source of inspiration and wonder for generations.
“It’s difficult to capture just how extraordinary the opportunity to display the tapestry in the UK for the first time in 1000 years is. I’m glad we’ll now all be able to share in that excitement as people book their tickets and travel to London to take part in what is undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest cultural events the British Museum has hosted – one for the ages.”
The exhibition begins on September 10. The tapestry had previously been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy since 1983, which has now closed for renovation. It will return to France for display, however, in the new Bayeux Tapestry Museum.
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