Sir Michael Palin and historian David Olusoga are set to feature in a new documentary detailing the return of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK after nearly 1,000 years. Arriving from France at the British Museum in London in July, the 70-metre-long linen artwork features embroidered images depicting the Norman Conquest. This marks the first time the tapestry has returned to the country since it was created roughly 960 years ago, with the museum's landmark exhibition running until next July.
TV presenter and comedian Sir Michael will lend his voice to Secrets Of The Bayeux Tapestry, a new BBC Two documentary which will explore the efforts to return the priceless work back to the UK. The tapestry depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, which saw William the Conqueror take the English throne from King Harold and become the first Norman king of England. The 60-minute episode will feature Olusoga along with other historians and experts such as Professor Janina Ramirez and Dan Snow, as they examine what the item can reveal about the Norman invasion.
The documentary will also address the mysteries surrounding the tapestry, such as who commissioned the piece, its creators and its intended purpose, as it delves into what it can reveal about the country the UK has become. Viewers will also meet the Franco-British team of experts who helped move the irreplaceable object from its former home at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux in Normandy, where it had been displayed since 1983. New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial.
Plan auto-renews until cancelled. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Former politician and academic Rory Stewart is also involved with the documentary, and described it as “the best way of really understanding the depth and detail of what can otherwise be quite a perplexing line of images”.
Fellow collaborator Dr Millie Horton-Insch, the project curator of The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum, described the object as “the most incredible investment of time and labour”. She added: “It was the thrill of a lifetime to watch the Tapestry arrive at The British Museum, quite literally a once in a millennium event. The British Museum expects around 7.5 million visitors during its stay in London, and tickets for the exhibition are currently sold out until December.
The next wave of public tickets for The Bayeux Tapestry will go on sale on 21 October for visits between January and March next year, with further tickets to be released at a later date. Secrets Of The Bayeux Tapestry will air on BBC Two and will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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