The British Museum has banned visitors from taking photographs of the Bayeux Tapestry, citing concerns that people were spending too long viewing the historic work and causing delays for other ticket-holders.
Curators initially permitted photography but reversed the decision after long queues formed, preventing visitors from accessing the exhibition on time.
A British Museum spokeswoman said: "There has been enormous interest in viewing the tapestry, and our priority is to ensure that all visitors have the best experience possible. In order to do this, we have made the decision to restrict photography while people are moving along the length of the tapestry."
The medieval embroidery depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It is on display in Britain for the first time.
Visitors are admitted in groups every 40 minutes and instructed to keep moving along the 68-metre (230ft) work in a single direction. People stopping to take photographs were disrupting that flow and delaying those waiting to enter.
The museum chose to display the embroidery in a single, straight line, unlike the horseshoe-shaped gallery in which it is normally displayed in Bayeux, Normandy.
The 11th-century artwork — which is not technically a tapestry and was actually embroidered in England — is on loan from its home in Normandy, France, and will remain on display in London until July 2027.
The loan was confirmed following a Franco-British summit in 2025, after years of planning between the two countries. Under the agreement, the British Museum is funding the costs of the move, while insurance is provided by the UK government.
The artefact was carefully packed in a climate-controlled crate and given a police escort for the 350-mile (560km) journey to central London.
Tickets for the sold-out exhibition are unavailable until at least 31 December, though more are expected to go on sale in October. Some prospective visitors have criticised ticket prices, which are reported to be as much as three times the cost of viewing the tapestry at its permanent home in France.
Those unable to secure tickets can view a full-scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry free of charge at Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire and at Reading Museum.
