King Charles flaunted his French during a visit at the British Museum in London, as he thanked French President Emmanuel Macron while welcoming the Bayeux Tapestry, the embroidered account of William the Conqueror's invasion of England in 1066.
Charles and Queen Camilla viewed the tapestry on Wednesday, September 2, alongside President Macron, his wife Brigitte, and Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, his wife Marie-France Van-Heel.
The monarch, who is a direct descendant of William, reportedly last saw it during a visit to Normandy in 1987. He was accompanied by Diana, Princess of Wales.
King Charles' speech to thank France
During his speech to commemorate the historic occasion, the King hailed the tapestry coming to London as an "unprecedented loan".
Charles, speaking in both French and English at the London museum, said the tapestry is a reminder "that our two nations have been bound together for almost a millennium".
He said that although the artwork depicts a conflict, "here it is today, nearly a thousand years later, as a precious symbol of trust, at a time when trust seems sadly to be in short supply between nations".
He added those involved in it would be "pleased our two great nations have prospered together across the tides of history".
Speaking in French, Charles noted, "I cannot tell you how happy my wife and I are to be among you this evening at the British Museum after having admired the Bayeux Tapestry, shown here in the United Kingdom for the first time in its long and remarkable history."
About the Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is the embroidered account of William the Conqueror's invasion of England in 1066.
The first crossing involved warships and cavalry, with the tapestry depicting King Harold being struck in the eye by an arrow, which marked the collapse of the Anglo-Saxon army.
According to British media reports, the journey back saw the nearly 1,000-year-old tapestry travel from France under police escort in an air-conditioned, anti-vibration crate.
Believed to have been made in England, the 70-metre work is back on British soil for the first time since its creation.
It will feature in an exhibition opening September 10, running until July 11, 2027.
