The Bayeux Tapestry – Mystery and Marvel

With Professor Michael Lewis, Curator of the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition and historians David Musgrove and Helen Carr

The nation has been gripped by what The New York Times has called “Bayeux Fever”, following the extraordinary achievement of bringing the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum. But what mysteries are stitched into this remarkable, nearly 1,000-year-old creation?

Exhibition curator Professor Michael Lewis, and historians Dave Musgrove and Helen Carr, join broadcaster Hannah MacInnes, to unravel the tapestry’s hidden stories, exploring the world of Anglo-Saxon England, the Norman Conquest and the making of one of history’s greatest works of visual storytelling.

For the first time since its creation nearly 1,000 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry has returned to England.

This monumental embroidery tells the dramatic story of the events surrounding 1066—a year that changed England forever. It witnessed the last successful conquest of the country and established a new royal dynasty from which the modern monarchy traces its history.

Few historical objects are as instantly recognisable, as widely studied or as endlessly reimagined as the Bayeux Tapestry. Now, discover the power, propaganda and enduring mysteries woven into its extraordinary story.