The 950-year-old Bayeux Tapestry will travel safely like a baby when it heads to London next month for an unprecedented exhibition, French officials confirm.

This marks only the third time the work leaves Bayeux, where it will go on show for nine months at the British Museum.

Many in France's art community have voiced concerns over the move, citing the piece's fragility and cultural value.

Following two practice runs using copies, the Paris culture ministry now feels ready to handle all technical issues.

Delphine Christophe, head of heritage and architecture at the ministry, expressed full confidence in the plans.

Every detail has been carefully prepared, she noted.

To shield it from harm, the 70m embroidery will travel inside a double container system.

Last September, a team of 90 workers lifted the item from its Bayeux display onto a folding stand now stored nearby in secret.

For the London trip, this stand folds into a compact aluminium crate that controls temperature and moisture levels.

The inner crate then fits inside an outer frame fitted with 12 metal springs to cushion impacts from above and below.

The full assembly loads onto a lorry for a 560km road and Channel tunnel rail journey.

Vertical jolts convert into gentle horizontal motion, allowing the inner crate to sway softly like a cradle, explained art conservation specialist Cecilia Gauvin.

Tests in February and April showed 96 percent of shocks were absorbed, matching typical museum display conditions.

Artworks already endure vibrations from museum visitors walking nearby, noted vibration expert Kerstin Kracht.

English roads proved bumpier than French ones, yet remained within expected limits.

The exact transport date stays hidden for security, though it falls sometime in July.

At the British Museum, staff will unload the tapestry with equal care before laying it flat for viewing.

Some experts, including arts writer Didier Rykner, still question the risks involved.

A tunnel breakdown could strand the lorry, he warned, adding that the reports mainly support a prior political choice.

In practice, no major barriers remain to this landmark art journey.

The Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidery on linen, dates from after Duke William of Normandy's 1066 conquest and depicts events up to the Battle of Hastings.

Kept for centuries in Bayeux Cathedral, it surfaced again in the 1700s. Napoleon displayed it in Paris in 1803 to promote his invasion plans, and it moved there again during World War Two.

The loan, long sought by UK officials, was announced by President Emmanuel Macron in 2025 to strengthen Franco-British relations amid global uncertainty.

In return, Britain will lend key pieces to Normandy museums, such as the 12th-century Lewis chess set and Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon finds.

Normandy marks 2027 as the thousandth anniversary of William the Conqueror's birth.