Bayeux Tapestry in 'wonderful state' after journey to London, French minister says

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Bayeux Tapestry in 'wonderful state' after journey to London, French minister says Figure caption, Donning protective kit for a first glance at the Bayeux TapestryByKatie Razzall Culture and Media EditorPublished52 minutes agoThe Bayeux Tapestry, which is now housed in the British Museum, is in a "wonderful state", the French Culture minister has told the , having viewed it on site. The early medieval masterpiece, which tells the story of the events leading up to 1066 and the Norman Conquest, is being checked over by French and British conservators ahead of going on display in September. There has been alarm from some, particularly in France, that the tapestry was too precious to move from there to the UK.

French culture minister Catherine Pégard said: "We can see that all the precautions have been taken… I believe that it will reassure all the sceptics". She was thronged by French and British media as she viewed the 11th Century embroidery, along with the chair of the British Museum, the former Chancellor George Osborne. Image source, AFPImage caption, British Museum chair George Osborne and French culture minister Catherine Pégard looking at a scene from the tapestryOsborne praised the "French and British experts" who transported the tapestry from Bayeux Museum in Normandy to London.

The Details

It is the first time the tapestry has been seen in England for 1,000 years. "They have done an amazing job in transporting this very very delicate item across the Channel and unfurling it here for us," Osborne told the . "It's our responsibility, this generation's responsibility, to do what previous generations have done, which is look after this tapestry so it's there for all time".

Professor Michael Lewis, curator of the museum's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, first suggested back in 2013 it should come to Britain after he realised the Bayeux museum would need to close for renovation. He called the collaboration between the French and British teams "remarkable". "There is no evidence that there is any damage to the tapestry whatsoever.

It has travelled really well," he added. Image source, /Katie RazzallImage caption, The tapestry was carefully taken out of a lorry from France at the British Museum, in the early hours of 10 JulyMuch of the stitched masterpiece, which is actually coloured yarn embroidered on linen rather than a woven tapestry, is currently covered up in giant polyester sheeting, to protect it from light damage. Yesterday, over 18 painstaking hours, teams of French and British conservators and British Museum staff unfurled the 70-metre long artwork from the folding stand where it had been concertinaed, surrounded by protective mattress-type padding.

What Experts Say

I'm told there were tears. Professor Lewis said it was "just so exciting. I've been dreaming about this moment for a very, very long time".

The French visit was about optics. The delegation viewed one of the early scenes which shows William, then Duke of Normandy, on his throne.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.