Élysée: French President and British King inaugurate the "Textile Bio" exhibition at the British Museum

Paris, Sept 3 (KUNA) -- The Elysee Palace announced on Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum during his visit to the United Kingdom, which began on Wednesday and concluded on Thursday, alongside King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla.

In a press statement, the Elysee said, “France’s exceptional loan of this masterpiece to the United Kingdom, announced by the President during his official visit to the UK in July 2025, marks a milestone in the relations between our two countries.”

The statement added that, in return, several British treasures had been loaned to museums in the cities of Caen and Rouen, highlighting the strength and depth of bilateral ties. It noted that “following the visit, the President spoke of the close relations between the United Kingdom and France, symbolized by this masterpiece.”

The statement further mentioned that “the following day, the Head of State held talks with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, during which key issues shaping relations between the two countries were discussed, including defense, economy, energy—particularly civil nuclear energy—and space, as well as shared international and security issues such as continued support for Ukraine, especially through the Contact Group on Ukraine, and the situation in the Middle East.”

The discussions also covered UK-EU relations, particularly migration across the English Channel.

The historic Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth dating back nearly 1,000 years. Under an agreement with the French government, the 70-meter-long tapestry was loaned from its home in northern France to the British Museum for display on English soil for the first time since its creation. (End) M.B. / M.M.J.