When the Bayeaux Tapestry Makes Its Historic Return to England, the British Government Will Insure It for More Than $1 Billion

Created in the 11th century, the delicate, 230-foot-long embroidered textile has been in France since 1077

Sarah Kuta | Daily Correspondent

January 2, 2026

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The famed Bayeux Tapestry is returning to England in 2026 for the first time in more than 900 years. When the embroidered textile makes its highly anticipated homecoming this year, the British government will insure it for roughly $1 billion (£800 million), reports the Financial Times’ George Parker.

The United Kingdom’s treasury department will insure the delicate cloth against damage or loss under the Government Indemnity Scheme, which supports public access to valuable objects that might otherwise be too costly for museums to insure commercially. The program, which is backed by British taxpayers, saves U.K. institutions an estimated $109 million (£81 million) a year in insurance costs, per BBC’s Fiona Nimoni.

For now, the $1 billion price tag is a provisionally approved estimated value. Rachel Reeves, the U.K.'s chief finance minister, must sign off on the indemnity, which “will not be formally confirmed until we receive the final valuation,” according to a government statement shared with the Financial Times.

The valuation is more than twice the price of the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, which went for $450.3 million in November 2017.

Created during the 11th century, the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings, during which William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson to become the first Norman king of England. The Normans ruled England for nearly 100 years, until 1154.

The tapestry—which is actually a multicolored wool embroidery on a linen backing—depicts 58 scenes featuring hundreds of men, horses, ships and dogs.

The 230-foot-long cloth has been in the French town of Bayeux since 1077, when a cathedral built by William's half-brother was erected. Who actually embroidered and created it is a mystery, according to the Bayeux Museum, but it is believed to have been crafted in Britain and then brought to Bayeux. Soon, it will travel back across the British Channel—likely in a truck via the Channel Tunnel—for an exhibition at the British Museum. It will be on view in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery from September 2026 to July 2027 while its current home, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy, is closed for renovations.

Officials announced the tapestry loan agreement in July 2025 during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the U.K. In return, the British Museum will lend to France seventh-century artifacts from the Sutton Hoo burial site, medieval chess pieces discovered on Scotland’s Isle of Lewis and other pieces from Wales and Northern Ireland.

Since then, officials have been hard at work preparing for the tapestry’s big adventure. In September, they moved the piece into temporary storage under a veil of secrecy.

Experts believe the tapestry is now too fragile to be hung. So, at the British Museum and at the renovated Bayeux Tapestry Museum, it will be exhibited on long tables.

Officials at the British Museum expect the tapestry to be wildly popular, predicting it could draw at least 850,000 visitors. It may even surpass the 1.7 million guests who came through to see the “Treasures of Tutankhamun” exhibition of 1972.

In France, the loan remains controversial, with some art experts worried the tapestry could suffer irreversible damage. More than 76,000 individuals have signed an online petition created by French art historian Didier Rykner.

“Macron has once again taken a catastrophic decision for our heritage, deciding alone, against the advice of conservators and restorers who know the Bayeux Tapestry,” Rykner wrote, according to a translation from the London Times’ Peter Conradi. “We therefore solemnly request the president of the republic to abandon this project. This loan would be a true heritage crime.”

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Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.