French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday at a celebratory event for an exhibition of the famed Bayeux Tapestry in Britain that their two countries can “forge a bond as close as the threads of this thousand-year-old embroidery”.
Speaking at the British Museum, accompanied by King Charles III and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Macron said he hoped the allies would be remembered centuries later as having chosen to forge that bond. King Charles III referred to the historic loan to Britain as “a precious symbol of trust”.
French President Emmanuel Macron had joined King Charles III and new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to see the Bayeux Tapestry, an almost 1,000-year-old symbol of Anglo-French relations, at its temporary home in the British Museum.
The three leaders and their spouses were given a private viewing of the 230-foot (70-metre) artwork, which depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
The work, which had not left France since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago – goes on public display at the museum from next week until July.
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.
The daring loan gambit is the culmination of years of cross-Channel diplomacy, with Macron playing an instrumental role, and is viewed as another step towards healing the rancour of the Brexit years.
“The loaning of the tapestry is a great example of French-British cooperation,” Burnham told MPs earlier Wednesday, heralding “the same cooperation” as helping reduce the number of migrants crossing the Channel to Britain on small boats to a seven-year low.
The UK premier – who replaced Keir Starmer in July – will be looking for other concrete outcomes when he welcomes Macron to Downing Street for talks Thursday.
The French president will be the first European Union leader hosted there by Burnham.
The former Manchester mayor has been clear he is eager to build on his predecessor’s efforts to forge closer post-Brexit cooperation with the bloc as he eyes boosting sluggish UK growth.
He has largely focused on domestic policy since taking over, but has maintained London’s support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Replay: UK PM Andy Burnham faces lawmakers for first time since taking office
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.
‘Just as important’
Anand Menon, professor of European politics and foreign affairs at Kings College London, warned there was a danger the visit would be “style without substance” even though Britain and France can appear “best buddies” on non-EU business like Ukraine.
“But on the substantive stuff, and particularly the stuff that will have any kind of economic implications for us in terms of growth, it’s still very, very tricky indeed,” he told AFP.
Macron built with Starmer the best relationship with any of the five UK premiers he has seen prior to Burnham during almost a decade in office.
The pair adopted lead roles in a so-called Coalition of the Willing of nations supporting Ukraine.
“The president had developed with prime minister Starmer a very friendly and highly effective relationship, particularly on Ukraine and the Middle East,” a French presidential official said, asking not to be named.
Coordination with Burnham was expected to be “just as important and regular”, added the official.
For Macron, who will arrive from a trip to the Netherlands, the visit will also be significant as he looks during the final half year of his term in office.
The French leader remains eager to press his vision of European sovereignty not dependent on the United States – where the United Kingdom is seen as having a crucial role to play even after Brexit.
‘We need progress’
Starmer was also part of a tight E3 trio with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Burnham will likely want to maintain.
However, he will be aware a new French president looms on the horizon in less than a year, while Germany‘s leader is under immense pressure at home due to the rise of the far right.
Burnham has so far only welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street since becoming prime minister and visited Kyiv on his first overseas trip.
On the train to Ukraine, Burnham met EU Council President Antonio Costa, telling him “the UK had to be bolder in terms of getting closer to the bloc”, according to Downing Street.
The 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry, which famously depicts the conquest of England by William the Conqueror of Normandy, arrived in London in July for the sell-out exhibition, after leaving France for the first time in more than nine centuries.
Experts feared it could be damaged but the French culture ministry insisted it had arrived in good condition.
Macron is “very eager” to see the tapestry displayed “in optimal conditions”, laid out flat at full length on a table, the French presidential official said. At its home in Bayeux in Normandy, the work has been displayed on a wall.
He is also expected to meet King Charles III, with whom Macron also has a strong personal relationship.
“The devil will be in the detail,” Menon summarised on the talks with Burnham.
“You can have as much of a bromance as you want, but we need progress on the EU negotiations, and I suspect we won’t get any movement on that.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
