Britain goes tapestry-mad as Bayeux masterpiece arrives in London, exhibition tickets all sold out

London’s Bayeux Tapestry exhibition opened to a captivated British public hungry for the medieval artwork depicting the Norman conquest of England. The British Museum welcomed the tapestry after months of anticipation, following its high-security arrival in London from France. The loan, a result of years of diplomatic efforts, is set to remain in London until next July.

The unprecedented loan, hailed as a symbol of renewed cross-Channel ties, has been embraced by the British public, with long online queues forming for the first series of tickets.

The Times newspaper described the exhibition as a "spine-shivering experience" that has sparked "Tapestry-mania" in Britain, while The Economist dubbed it the "hottest ticket" around. The tapestry, depicting the 1066 Battle of Hastings and the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror’s army, has a shadowy past, believed to have been made in England almost 1,000 years ago before moving to Bayeux, France.

The British public sees the loan as the tapestry returning home, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling it a "return." King Charles III hailed the temporary transfer as a "precious symbol of trust at a time when trust seems sadly to be in short supply between nations."

Students gearing up for school trips and businesses capitalizing on the fervor have added to the excitement. The museum has even seen a surge in visits from those eager to see the tapestry, with businesses selling tapestry-inspired merchandise at the museum and luxury stores releasing cushions inspired by the artwork. Even budget bakery chain Greggs unveiled its own "Ta-Pastry" to celebrate the historical artifact.

A museum in Reading, west London, is also enjoying the attention for its Victorian replica of the tapestry, and a pub near the British Museum has hung an eight-metre embroidered "Beer Tapestry" as a playful tribute to the original's violent history. Despite concerns about potential damage during transport, conservators say the 70-metre-long tapestry is "virtually unchanged" with only minor thread breaks.