A millennium after the birth of William the Conqueror, Westminster Abbey will next year exhibit a new work inspired by the possible missing final scene of the Bayeux Tapestry.
Bayeux Tapestry inspires new exhibition: Crowning the Conquerer – a first at Westminster Abbey
Designed by contemporary artist Hélène Delprat and handmade in the famous French weaving town of Aubusson, the tapestry depicts William’s coronation following his victory at the Battle of Hastings.
Westminster Abbey, where William was crowned on Christmas Day 1066, has been chosen as the UK venue to exhibit the piece.
It will be shown in the medieval Chapter House from 1 May – 30 July 2027.
The Bayeux Tapestry, now on display in a landmark exhibition at the British Museum, records the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England, concluding with the death of King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings.
While it illustrates the struggle for the English throne, it stops short of portraying William’s triumphant coronation in the Abbey, either because the final section has been lost or because it was never completed. This new work, commissioned by the Normandy Regional Council as part of MILLENIUM 2027 – the European Year of the Normans, sets out to remedy that.
Delprat’s tapestry is a large-scale piece measuring 25m square which combines colours and motifs from the original work with heraldic devices and symbols of power and victory, creating a contemporary response to the events of ten centuries ago.
It is being woven at the Atelier Guillot in Aubusson, a town in the Creuse region of central France whose tapestry- making is so renowned that in 2009 it was inscribed in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The work is being carried out by three members of the highly skilled Guillot family – husband and wife team Patrick and Marie and their son Luc – who as well as weaving the tapestry have also guided the selection of up to 300 different coloured wool and silk threads to create a rich mixture of patterns and textures.
Following the Westminster Abbey exhibition, the tapestry will return to France, where it will tour Normandy before being shown at William’s birthplace of Falaise Castle.
Hélène Delprat is celebrated as one of France’s leading contemporary multidisciplinary artists. Her work ranges from painting and drawing to video, installation and performance in a blend of art history, literature and humour. A former professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, her recent exhibitions include The Souvenir of Lost Battles at the Museu Picasso, Barcelona and Écoutez! c’est l’éclipse (Listen! This is an eclipse) at the Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
Hervé Morin, President of the Normandy Regional Council, said:
‘In 2027, the British capital will host an unprecedented encounter between the medieval masterpiece that is the Bayeux Tapestry and its contemporary counterpart, offering the public the most comprehensive account of the story of William the Conqueror ever presented. A highlight of the MILLENIUM anniversary year and a symbol of the historic ties that bind Normandy and the United Kingdom. The exhibition of Hélène Delprat’s work at Westminster Abbey fully embodies the MILLENIUM initiative: to bring Norman history to life in the very places where it unfolded. Hélène Delprat’s work will not only be exhibited in London; it will symbolically return to the very sites of the events it depicts.’
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, said:
‘I am thrilled that Westminster Abbey will be the first to display Hélène Delprat’s remarkable tapestry. This fascinating, contemporary work presents an imagined final scene of the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting William’s coronation following his victory at the Battle of Hastings. As the coronation church, where monarchs have been anointed and crowned in a Christian service since 1066, there could be no more fitting place to display this work than at Westminster Abbey.
‘The conversations that have brought the Bayeux Tapestry to London and the marvellous exhibition at the British Museum have challenged us all to think again about complex loyalties put to the test in 1066. We hope this tapestry will contribute to that discussion and bring fresh focus to the work and mission of the Abbey. This is yet another reminder of the close friendship between France and the United Kingdom, embodying the ‘entente amicale’ so warmly described by His Majesty The King when he recently visited the British Museum.’
Entry to the exhibition will be free with admission to the Abbey. Tickets for timed slots are released up to three months in advance here.
A range of public events will offer further opportunities for discussion and reflection on this highly significant turning point in English history.
1 May – 30 July 2027 – Admission: FREE with entry to the Abbey
Location: The Chapter House, Westminster Abbey, London SW1P 3PA
Photo Credit : Pierre Galliot
