+34
Return of Bayeux Tapestry offers a symbolic backdrop to the warmest UK-French relations in years
The Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle Of Hastings, has returned to England for the first time in more than 900 years.
Photograph: Bayeux Museum/PA Wirespent the summer striving to prove to the UK’s Labour Party that he will be a better, more empathetic general than his predecessor,The timing this week of his first hosting of a world leader in London suggests that he might be.
The temporary relocation of the priceless 70-metre-long embroidery, which depicts the Norman conquest of Britain right up to Battle of Hastings in 1066, was championed by Macron in 2018 at the height of theAntónio Guterres: ‘Superpowers need to understand things have changed’ Macron saw his offer to loan the artwork, which hadn’t been on British soil for almost a millennium, as a way of buttressing his nation’s ties with the UK at a time when they were under strain due to messy geopolitics. The French had repeatedly refused to lend the Bayeux Tapestry to the British over the previous century or so.
Against the advice of many French experts, who feared the tapestry could be damaged, it was spirited into Britain overnight in July in a high-security, high-stakes operation. A single tear in the fabric, and Macron might be put in fear of France’s political guillotine. The arrival of the historical embroidery has sparked giddiness in Britain and also a round of sentimental soul-searching in UK media over the country’s relations with its closest neighbour to the east.
Hélène Duchêne, France’s ambassador to Britain, was recently brought on to Sky News to discuss the tapestry’s arrival, where she mused with her hosts that the loan deal said much about Britain and France’s “past, but also about our future”. , Macron is expected to hold talks with Burnham in London on Thursday.
He will be the first European Union leader to do so with the new UK prime minister on British soil, beating the Republic’s, who may be in line for a visit to Burnham’s old stomping ground of Manchester at the end of the third week of September. Macron will also be the first world leader of any sort to be greeted by Burnham at his new home of Downing Street (the UK prime minister briefly hosted Ukraine’s This is where the new UK prime minister’s good timing comes in.
Macron’s arrival comes just as Anglo-French relations reach their warmest point in years. Much of the spade work on the UK side was put in by Starmer, but that lucky general Burnham reaps the benefit. For the past four or five years, Anglo-French relations have been viewed domestically in Britain principally through the prickly prism of migrant small boat arrivals. But recent deals done with the French under Starmer have stemmed the flow significantly.
July’s total number of arrivals was the lowest for the peak summer month since 2020. French police, with funding from London, stopped 60 per cent of small boat launches in the past three months. The British are paying to put 40 per cent more “boots on the ground” to patrol French beaches. The UK press has taken note.
Meanwhile, the two nations in effect jointly lead the “coalition of the willing” helping Ukraine in its fight against Russia; they recently co-operated, for example, on giving Zelenskiy’s government the blueprints for Storm Shadow missiles. France and Britain are also joint linchpins in European discussions around upgrading the continent’s defences, while as two nuclear-armed permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, they have also co-operated in self-perceived roles as geopolitical grown-ups in the dangerous age of US president Donald Trump.
Luckily for Burnham, this will do him no harm as he pursues closer relations with the European Union while, so far, offering little in return. Meanwhile, the hype machine for the Bayeux Tapestry is cranking up. It opens for public viewing on Thursday next week but all tickets until December were snapped up in one day when they were released in July. Some people queued online for nine hours to get them.
The next tranche will be up for grabs online on October 21st. There has been some controversy, however, around private viewings for well-connected individuals, such as billionaire Palantir co-founder There is a home-grown alternative for those who cannot secure a coveted ticket to view the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum. In the late 1880s, a group of women who were members of a Staffordshire embroidery club stitched a full-sized, faithful replica, which to this day is on display at a little museum in Reading, just west of London.
As it was stitched in prudish Victorian Britain, the Staffordshire ladies censored all of the warriors’ penises that could be seen in the original. GP and elderly mother awarded €12k over Dundrum clinic receptionist’s ‘disrespectful’ conductMost primary and secondary students refused to go to school at least once last year‘Loneliness has become a feature of my life since turning 30′Children are turning to AI for advice. We have terrifying examples of where this can lead
Andy-Burnham Keir-Starmer British-Museum King-Charles Peter-Thiel
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
European Union's Future: Macron's Departure Sparks Leadership VoidAs the political season resumes after the summer break, French President Emmanuel Macron finds himself at a critical juncture, with a significant portion of the electorate opposing him and Marine Le Pen posing a serious threat to his presidency. In the context of a changing global landscape where the United States is retreating from its traditional security role, Macron has been a prominent advocate for European strategic autonomy. His departure from office could leave a leadership vacuum, as his potential successors lack his visionary approach and strong stance on European integration.
Read more »
Carlos Alcaraz makes confident return with US Open first round winAryna Sabalenka begins title defence with victory against Camila Osorio
Read more »
Real Housewives of London, Salt Lake City and New York City return to streaming this SeptemberThree flagship Real Housewives franchises premiere new seasons this September on Hayu, featuring returning cast members, glamorous locations and fresh interpersonal conflicts. Highlights include the London ladies' trip to Antigua, Salt Lake City's celebrations in San Francisco and Hawaii, and New York's swing from Manhattan to a private island.
Read more »
Gogglebox Ireland announces star-studded celebrity line-up ahead of season 12 returnThe popular Virgin Media Television series will return on Wednesday, September 9 at 9pm, with a host of famous faces taking to the sofas to give their very honest opinions on some of the biggest television moments.
Read more »