Bayeux Tapestry tickets go on sale as nearly 100,000 hopefuls join queue to view 11th century embroidery in Britain for first time

Almost 100,000 history fans joined the ticket queue to see the legendary Bayeux Tapestry when it goes on display at the British Museum later this year.

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 piece has been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux in the Normandy region of northern France since 1983.

However, the tapestry is set to be loaned by the French Government to the museum and will be on display at for 10 months.

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Almost 100,000 people joined in the online queue after the first batch of tickets were released at 10am.

Chairman of trustees at the British Museum, former Conservative chancellor George Osbourne described the tapestry as a "defining piece of our nation’s history and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience".

Adult tickets to see the tapestry at the British Museum are priced at £33 during peak times and £27 at off-peak times.

This is almost triple the €12 (£10.80) that it normally costs visitors to see the tapestry in its usual spot in Normandy.

Speaking about the hefty price, the museum's director Dr Nicholas Cullinan told the BBC: "[The exhibition was] really expensive exhibition for us to put on as a charity, and so we do need to recoup those funds".

"The majority of tickets are off-peak, so they're less, and all children under 16 will see it for free. We felt it was very important to make this something that all young people have access to."

Two further ticket releases will be made in October and January for access between January to March, and April to July 2027.

Dr Cullinan added: "It will be laid flat, which is the best way to show it in terms of conservation, but the other thing that's very exciting is it will be shown in one long line. This is the first time in centuries that people will be able to see the entire length of the tapestry."

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The most popular exhibition in the museum's history was the famous 1972's Treasures of Tutankhamun, which attracted 1.69 million visitors to see the historic Egyptian artefacts.

Mr Osborne said: "This will be without doubt the biggest year in the museum’s history, as we expect 7.5 million people to visit as the Bayeux Tapestry returns to UK soil for the first time in 1,000 years.

“It is a defining piece of our nation’s history and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"I hope people mark their calendars and seize the chance to see it when it arrives, in what promises to be an extraordinary moment for the country."

Emmanuel Macron has faced a political backlash for allowing the loan to go ahead, with some historians accusing the French President of ignoring expert advice that said the artefact was too fragile to be transported to UK.

However, the piece will be transported to England in a specially designed container, constructed to absorb any shocks and vibrations from potholes, while humidity levels will be closely monitored.

A police escort will accompany the tapestry, both in France and England.

As part of the deal with the French Government, a series of Anglo-Saxon artefacts, including the Sutton Hoo bronze helmet, are being sent the other way.

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