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Wednesday, 13 February 2013 16:21

Tapestry Completed 900 Years After it was Commissioned

The Bayeux tapestry depicts William and Harold in Normandy. The Bayeux tapestry depicts William and Harold in Normandy. Wikipedia

Residents of Alderney, the northernmost of the British Channel islands, recently came together to complete the Bayeux tapestry, an embroidered cloth measuring 230 feet from the 1070s. The original tapestry is believed to have been commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, the half brother of Duke William II of Normandy, and was sewn by English needle-works in either Winchester or Canterbury over a ten year span.

The Bayeux Tapestry is comprised of 50 scenes depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings, where Duke William II defeated King Harold II of England. However, the tapestry ends before the coronation of William in London in 1066, leading experts to believe that the embroidery had lost its final panels over the centuries.

Hundred of people from Alderney have contributed to the completion of the Bayeux tapestry. Designed by artist Pauline Black, the project was overseen by Kate Russell, an American who lives on the island. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles even added a few stitches while on a visit to the Channel Islands.

The completed Bayeux tapestry will go on display at the Alderney Museum later this year.

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