The UK Treasury will insure the Bayeux Tapestry for an estimated £800 million under the Government Indemnity Scheme during its loan to the British Museum next year. The tapestry, created in the 1070s, will travel from Normandy to London via the Channel Tunnel and be displayed in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery from September 2025 to July 2027 while its home museum in Bayeux undergoes renovations. The loan agreement, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, includes a dry run with a facsimile and vibration monitoring, and in exchange, British Museum treasures such as the Lewis chessmen and Sutton Hoo helmet will travel to Normandy.
This loan marks the first time the Bayeux Tapestry has been in Britain in nearly 1,000 years, making it a historic cultural event. The £800 million indemnity highlights the immense value placed on the artifact and the reliance on government-backed insurance to enable major international loans. The exhibition also underscores diplomatic cultural exchange between France and the UK, with the British Museum chosen over the Victoria and Albert Museum due to its gallery size, and the new Bayeux Tapestry Museum designed by RSHP set to reopen in 2027.