Bayeux Tapestry visitors denied entry to make way for Chancellor’s dinner

Hundreds of visitors queuing to see the 1000-year-old embroidery were left disappointed and frustrated when the museum closed early on Wednesday afternoon for the gala dinner. Some of those denied entry had waited for many years to see the tapestry and had spent money and time securing tickets. Ellen Walker wrote on social media that she had been waiting since she was seven-years-old to see the tapestry, but was turned away half way through the queue.Other visitors were reported to have travelled thousands of miles to see the Bayeux Tapestry - some having arrived from the US, according to reports in the Telegraph. The British Museum apologised to ticket holders and explained it was forced to close due to a private event. The gala dinner, sponsored by Samsung to celebrate the opening of the Korea exhibition, was set to be attended by Chancellor John Healey. Though arrangements had been made to avoid the scheduling clash, time slots ran over schedule. Those who were turned away are now set to be refunded and will be given another opportunity to view the exhibition for free. “We have apologised to those affected and given a refund as well as rescheduling their ticket for free. This was an isolated situation and we appreciate visitors’ patience and understanding,” a statement from the British Museum read. A user on social media reported waiting an hour and a half to reach the front of the queue, despite having a fixed entry time. Read MoreShe added that visitors were instructed to “keep moving” as they viewed the ancient embroidery. “I am surprised they didn’t use a cattle prod to make people walk faster!,” she quipped. In response to the complaints, the British Museum said: “We have seen unprecedented demand for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition and our priority is to enable as many people to see it as possible while maintaining our commitment to the best possible visitor experience.“We have been planning in earnest and have extensive measures in place to try to manage visitor flow, but we recognise that some visitors have waited longer than we would have wanted. We apologise to those affected. We will be contacting them directly.”