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♪♪♪

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This is the Bayeux Tapestry.

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It was commissioned to celebrate [br]William's conquest of England.

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And it begins with the [br]events that led up to it.

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The death of Edward the Confessor,[br]King of England.

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And the succession of a new king, Harold.

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It's magical to be taken back a [br]1,000 years in this dark chamber

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to see history spelt out for you.

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70 meters long right down to the end,[br]right round to the back.

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And the story very vividly told.

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But at the same time, [br]along the freezes,

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top and bottom, [br]wonderfully vivid pictures.

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Some of them of Aesop's Fables,

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some of little stories,

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some little nobody knows what they are.

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Little details of farming life here.

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Plowing, sowing, [br]and a man killing birds with a sling.

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It's not strictly speaking a tapestry,

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it's actually needle work, [br]sown with wool onto linen.

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I suppose the story that we know [br]best begins with the death of

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Edward the Confessor and his [br]burial in Westminster Abbey.

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Westminster Abbey here with [br]the hand of God, blessing it.

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And here, Harold receiving the crown,

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with his orb and his scepter,[br]people looking on.

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And then spies come across and[br]explain to William and Normandy

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what's happened in England that [br]Harold has seized the crown.

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And here he orders ships [br]to be built for an invasion.

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So the first thing to cut down the trees,[br]and start building the ships.

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Putting aboard suits of chainmail,[br]needing two men to carry them.

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And spears, arrows, and the last stages to[br]get the horses on board these long ships.

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Very tricky.

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And they didn't look particularly happy.

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The boats set sail.

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They cross over to Pevensey.

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Land safely at Pevensey, go ashore.[br]And then the real task begins.

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But first, the army has to be fed.

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There's a terrine there being boiled;[br]

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there's sort of chicken kabobs,[br]they look like.

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And here, William feasting with his men.

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And then they're preparing for war.

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They build a castle of wood at Hastings.

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William's followers set light to [br]some of the Anglo-Saxon houses.

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A woman leading her child [br]away from her burning house.

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And then battle commences.

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Quite slowly to start with, with the [br]Calvary charging against Harold's forces.

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Heads chopped off.

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Hands chopped off.

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And the battle rages all day long.

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In the confusion of the battle, [br]as swords and axes clang against shields,

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a dangerous rumor sweeps [br]William's army that he has been killed.

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So what does he do?

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He turns around in his saddle,[br]lifts his helmet off,

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and shows himself to his troops.

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And the battle goes on.

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And then we come to the famous design[br]of Harold with the arrow in his eye.

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Nobody quite knows whether [br]that is what happened.

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And here, slaughtered.

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I've seen this many times.

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Every time I see it, [br]I have to say it just brings the

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whole story of William's [br]invasion of England alive.

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You really feel here because [br]this was done by people living

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only a few years after the event.

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You really feel the power and[br]the passion that went into it.

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It's a completely magical work of art.

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♪♪♪