David Hockney has called plans to move the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain 'madness', warning that its weakened linen backing and vulnerable wool threads make transport risky. The British Museum says its specialist conservation teams will protect the 68-metre medieval embroidery, which is now in secret storage after being removed from Bayeux for the first time in 40 years. France plans a 10-month loan to the UK from September 2026 in exchange for artefacts including items from Sutton Hoo, but heritage experts cite thousands of stains, holes and tears as reasons for caution.
David Hockney Calls Moving the Bayeux Tapestry 'Madness' — British Museum Vows Protection
The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of the 11th-century Norman conquest of England (LOIC VENANCE)(LOIC VENANCE/AFP/AFP)
Renowned artist David Hockney has warned that transporting the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry to Britain would be 'madness', saying the fragile embroidery is too precious to risk. The British Museum has responded by emphasising its conservation expertise and promising to safeguard the textile ahead of a planned loan.
Background
The 68-metre (224-foot) tapestry, which chronicles the Norman conquest of England in 1066, was moved into a secret storage location after being taken from its usual display in Bayeux, Normandy — the first time in 40 years it has been removed. French President Emmanuel Macron agreed last year to loan the medieval embroidery to the UK for 10 months from September 2026 as part of Franco-British commemorations. In return, French museums are expected to receive important artefacts from Britain, chiefly items from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo site.
Conservation Concerns
Heritage experts have long expressed concern about the tapestry's condition. Since 2020 conservators have recorded 24,204 stains, 9,646 holes and 30 tears across the embroidery. A transport feasibility study prepared by three specialists in March 2022 remains confidential at the request of Normandy cultural authorities. A planned two-year conservation project due to begin in 2025 was postponed indefinitely, and the tapestry remains off display while its host museum undergoes refurbishment.
“Some things are too precious to take a risk with,” Hockney wrote. “The linen backing is weakened by age, and the wool embroidery threads are vulnerable to stress. Rolling, unrolling, or hanging it in a new way can cause tearing, stitch loss and distortion of the fabric.”
Museum director Nicholas Cullinan acknowledged those worries but stressed that the British Museum has 'a world-leading conservation and collections team who are experts at handling and caring for this type of material'. He noted that the museum handles thousands of loans each year, including frescoes and textiles older than the Bayeux Tapestry, and that condition and safety are of paramount importance.
What Happens Next
The loan is scheduled to begin in September 2026 unless plans change. The debate has prompted calls for alternative approaches: Hockney suggested keeping the original in situ and creating an identical copy for display, a proposal some conservators and curators say could reduce risk while still enabling public access.
Key facts: UNESCO inscribed the tapestry on its Memory of the World register in 2007. The exchange of loans between France and Britain is intended to mark and strengthen cultural ties, but the final decision on transport and display will depend on further conservation assessments and diplomatic agreements.
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