France's Bayeux Tapestry to return to Britain after 900 years
King Charles welcomed Macron for a three-day trip on Tuesday, aimed at celebrating the return of closer ties between London and Paris after Brexit, with the loan of the tapestry a symbol of kinship between the neighbours.
Britain will in exchange loan France Anglo-Saxon and Viking treasures, in a deal to be announced by British culture minister Lisa Nandy and her French counterpart Rachida Dati later on Tuesday, a government statement said.
While the precise origins of the 70-metre long Bayeux tapestry are obscure, it is said to have been the work of English embroiderers, whose stitching tells the story of the Norman invasion in 1066, and most famously the arrow which hit England's King Harold in the eye.
In the years after William the Conquerer took the English throne, the tapestry was taken to France, where it has remained, displayed at the Bayeux Museum in Normandy since 1983.
"The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most important and unique cultural artefacts in the world, which illustrates the deep ties between Britain and France and has fascinated people across geographies and generations," British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan said.
The artwork will be shown at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027, the statement said, while museums in Normandy, northern France, will host Britain's Sutton Hoo collection, consisting of metal artworks including helmets, shields and spoons from the seventh century.
The French will also borrow Britain's Lewis Chessmen, a collection of chess pieces thought to have been crafted in Norway in the 12th century and found on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Witness History Eta's assassination of Juan Mari Jáuregui
On 29 July 2000, retired Spanish politician Juan Mari Jáuregui was assassinated by Basque separatists Eta. Deemed a terrorist organisation by the European Union, Eta killed more than 800 people between 1968 and 2010. Its goal was to create an independent Basque state out of territory in south-west France and northern Spain. Following Jáuregui's murder, his widow Maixabel Lasa worked to help victims of political violence and highlight their suffering, weakening Eta's support. A decade later, she received a message from one of the men involved in Jáuregui's murder. He wanted to meet her and take responsibility for his actions, beginning a remarkable friendship. In 2011, Eta declared a permanent ceasefire, and formally disbanded in 2018. Maixabel Lasa speaks to Ben Henderson. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina's Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous 'tear down this wall' speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler's List; and Jacques Derrida, France's 'rock star' philosopher. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world's oldest languages. (Photo: Maixabel Lasa. Credit: Arnaitz Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Victoria and David Beckham welcome beloved son Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel onboard their £16M yacht in St Tropez as they enjoy summer break with family friend Eva Longoria... but Brooklyn is still missing
Victoria Beckham looked thrilled to welcome her beloved son Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel onboard her and David's £16million yacht in St Tropez on Monday. The couple's eldest son Brooklyn, 26, and daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz, 30, continue to be absent from their annual summer break amid an ongoing family feud. The family has been thrown into turmoil in recent months, amid claims Brooklyn has become increasingly estranged from his famous parents after failing to attend any of his father David's 50th birthday celebrations in May. Cruz, 20, joined his parents mid-trip following a romantic break with Jackie, 30, elsewhere. Eva Longoria, 50 - a close family friend of the Beckhams - was also spotted on their multi-million pound vessel with her husband José Bastón, 57. The Desperate Housewives actress, who is godmother to Victoria and David's daughter Harper, was seen relaxing on a sun lounger in a high-leg white swimsuit before greeting Cruz and Jackie. Cruz joined his parents during their annual family getaway following a romantic break with Jackie elsewhere After settling in, Cruz enjoyed a dip in the ocean with his father, 50, before sharing a sweet embrace while chatting to Victoria, 51. Fashion designer Victoria looked incredibly elegant in a black lace dress, teamed with a large sun hat. The couple traded in their £5million yacht for the much bigger vessel last year, and had been pictured on it sailing around Miami. The impressive looking vessel, understood to be worth £16million, was a significant upgrade on the comparatively modest 100-foot yacht reportedly purchased by Beckham in 2022. The football legend was said to have 'treated himself' to his original vessel in 2022 after being inspired by his maritime jaunts with close friends Sir Elton John and David Furnish - who often holiday at sea. A source told The Sun at the time: 'David had a look around some yachts in the summer, and decided to treat himself. He helped design the boat himself, and has been incredibly hands-on with everything. 'It's not an oligarch-style super-yacht, but it's still pretty plush by anyone's standards. He was inspired after holidaying with Elton and David on their boat - and loves life on the water. 'There will be an area for the kids to snorkel, and the boat will be a brilliant base for the whole Beckham clan to have magical holidays abroad.' The family has been thrown into turmoil in recent months, amid claims Brooklyn has become increasingly estranged from his famous parents after failing to attend any of his father David's 50th birthday celebrations in May Shirtless David showered off after a dip The couple traded in their £5million yacht for the much bigger vessel last year, and had been pictured on it sailing around Miami The impressive looking vessel, understood to be worth £16million, was a significant upgrade on the comparatively modest 100-foot yacht reportedly purchased by Beckham in 2022 The football legend was said to have 'treated himself' to his original vessel in 2022 after being inspired by his maritime jaunts with close friends Sir Elton John and David Furnish - who often holiday at sea Cruz showed off her skills as he dived into the water from the boat The trio looked in great spirits on the family trip David and Victoria are also away with their other children, Romeo, 22 and Harper, 14. Victoria gave a rare insight into her feelings about estranged son Brooklyn with a telling social media move. The former Spice Girl has proved she is still keeping tabs on her eldest son's moves by 'liking' several of his social media facts. Notably, in the three-weeks spanning July 5 and July 26 - she liked every single one of his posts that didn't feature Nicola. All posts in which he was seen with his wife, were not acknowledged by Victoria. It is possible that these posts - four out of the 16 - were simply not seen by her. Victoria has not liked any of Nicola's posts in the same time period. Nor have the Lola actress and Brooklyn liked any of Victoria's. Brooklyn did, however, open up about the only thing he and wife Nicola argue over amid the ongoing feud with his famous family. Despite their troubles, the hunk suggested the couple, who wed in 2023, are still very much in the honeymoon stage and only disagree over the thermostat. They transferred onto the yacht The trio caught up after a few days away from each other The father-son duo dried off after a fun afternoon in the sea He told GQ: 'By the way, that's the only argument me and my wife have, the temperature in the room. She loves it'. 'She runs cold, so she always wants it all hot all the time. I always run hot, and I like to have it a little bit colder, so we meet in the middle.' It was previously revealed that Brooklyn and Nicola's Instagram accounts no longer follow his younger brothers Cruz and Romeo in the latest family drama. However, Brooklyn's friends told MailOnline that Cruz and Romeo have actually blocked them on the social media platform. This would make sense given that Brooklyn and Nicola are still following Victoria and David. Cruz and Romeo were still following Brooklyn and Nicola earlier this month but appeared to take action after Brooklyn posted a birthday tribute to sister Harper, sharing a family photo without them in it – which Nicola reposted. There was much speculation whether Brooklyn would reach out to Harper on her 14th birthday, but despite him doing so, it seems all is not well in the camp. Brooklyn's birthday tribute to Harper marked his first public interaction with his family since he paid tribute to his grandmother Sandra on June 26, despite remaining silent and shunning his father's 50th birthday earlier that same month. Sources close to the family have told MailOnline of their fears that Brooklyn and his wife Nicola have also distanced themselves from Harper after they failed to visit her when they flew into London in May to film an advert for French-Italian clothing brand Moncler just over a mile from the family home in Holland Park. David and Victoria had no idea whether Brooklyn, who Harper has idolised since she was a little girl, would message her privately or publicly on Instagram because they have no communication with him.
BreakingNews.ie
6 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
The 1975's Matty Healy warns of ‘cultural erasure' as he backs small venue event
The 1975 singer Matty Healy has warned of 'cultural erasure' as he threw his support behind a new festival which aims to back small music venues. The Seed Sounds Weekender, which will take place September 26th-28th, will see more than 2,000 gigs take place in more than 1,000 venues in an attempt to unite small venues. Advertisement Speaking of the event, Healy told the PA news agency: 'The political neglect behind this crisis, steadily hollowing out arts funding and cultural infrastructure is a class war by omission. 'Councils across England have slashed arts budgets by 20% to 30% over the last decade. Without government-led reforms – like a mandatory stadium-and-arena ticket levy, VAT relief, business rates reform, and real investment in venue survival – this ecosystem collapses. Matty Healy on stage at the Glastonbury Festival (Yui Mok/PA) 'The UK music industry delivers £5.2 billion to the economy, supports 228,000 jobs, and exports its soft power globally – but its entire pipeline starts in those 150‑capacity rooms above pubs. 'Lose them, and you aren't just losing venues – you are losing the conditions that made all that possible. That is cultural erasure, and it will not come back. Advertisement 'And that's precisely why movements like the Seed Sounds Weekender are so important, this festival isn't just a celebration, it's about uniting and sustaining this network, ensuring that art isn't just for the privileged, and that Britain's unique, musical heartbeat keeps beating.' Last year, the Music Venue Trust's annual report warned that, in 2023, 22.4 per cent of venues closed as a result of 'operational issues', while 42.1 per cent of its members reported 'financial issues'. Just last month, Sheffield's well-known Leadmill venue saw its last gig in its current form, after losing a long-running eviction battle with its landlord, the Electric Group, with singer Miles Kane performing on June 27th. Tickets for most of the gigs which take place as part of the Seed Sounds Weekender will be free, with events taking place across 20 UK towns and cities including London, Liverpool and Manchester. Advertisement Healy added: 'Local venues aren't just where bands cut their teeth – they're the foundational infrastructure of our culture. Without them, you don't get The Smiths, Idles, Little Simz, or Wet Leg, you get silence. 'Since 2007, we've lost 38 per cent of UK grassroots music venues – over 1,200 of them – and venue closures continue at a frightening pace. In 2023 alone, 125 venues shut down, and right now two venues are closing every month. 'These rooms barely scrape by, average profit margins are just 0.5 per cent – under £3,000 per year – and nearly 44 per cent operate at a loss. The sector effectively subsidises live music by £162 million annually. 'That means communities across the country: working-class towns; inner cities; regional centres; lose their only accessible creative spaces. Advertisement 'When that happens, the only art that thrives is the art already bankrolled, safe, sanitised, and profitable. Art becomes a luxury for the privileged.' Organised by live music marketplace GigPig, the event will partner with Uber to give attendees discounted rides to and from gig venues, with tickets available from the Seed Sounds Weekender website. It comes after Healy and his band recently headlined the 2025 edition of Glastonbury Festival, having achieved five UK number one albums and 12 UK hit singles. The 1975 are best known for songs such as Chocolate, The Sound and Love Me. Advertisement
