The Bayeux Tapestry is returning to England for the first time in nearly a millennium, arriving at the British Museum in September. Though hailed as a homecoming, the medieval textile was likely crafted in Canterbury a decade after the Norman Conquest. Scholars believe English women, renowned for their embroidery skills, may have woven the work, yet the narrative remains predominantly Norman. The tapestry offers a partisan account of the Battle of Hastings, largely silencing Anglo-Saxon perspectives despite its English origins. This exhibition marks a significant cultural moment, prompting renewed discussion about authorship and the complex history of the artifact's creation.

Anglo-Saxon manuscripts from Canterbury reveal stylistic parallels with the tapestry, supporting the theory of a local origin. However, the visual record heavily favors the Norman perspective, celebrating their victory while marginalizing the defeated English. The return provides a rare opportunity to examine this iconic work's intricate details and the historical debates surrounding its making. Visitors will witness a piece of medieval storytelling that, while English-made, speaks primarily to the Norman conquest.