French petition seeks to block Bayeux tapestry's loan to Britain

FILE PHOTO: A close-up view of the Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidered cloth which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, thought to date to the 11th century, at the Bayeux Museum, France, September 13, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) -A petition to stop the Bayeux tapestry being loaned by France to the British Museum in London has attracted more than 40,000 signatures from people concerned that movement could damage the Medieval relic.

Art historian Didier Rykner launched the petition on the platform Change.org after French President Emmanuel Macron offered during a trip to London in July to loan the tapestry as part of an art exchange.