Charles III and Emmanuel Macron to open exhibition of iconic Bayeux Tapestry

The 70-metre Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, is about to leave France for the first time since it was created. King Charles III and Queen Camilla will join Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron at the British Museum to open its exhibition.

The exhibition will not open to the public until Sept. 10, but the presence of the British and French couples gives the event a particular symbolic weight during Macron’s two-day visit to the United Kingdom. The leaders are due to walk together along the display and pause at key scenes, including Harold Godwinson’s coronation and his death at the Battle of Hastings.

Curators will explain the meaning of the main scenes as the royal and presidential visitors tour the work. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is also expected to accompany them before receiving the Macrons at 10 Downing Street the following day.

Those talks will turn to the more political issues in the visit. Britain and France, alongside Germany, are described as leading supporters of Ukraine, while the leaders are also expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East as U.S. interests increasingly diverge from European concerns.

Migration across the English Channel is likely to feature as well. People attempting to reach Britain from the French coast have made control of the route a major concern for Britons, while the Labour government and Keir Starmer’s previous administration have repeatedly highlighted reductions in migrant arrivals.