The Italian descendants of King William II’s killer want to donate a work of art partly depicting William’s death to a British museum.
The three-slab triptych is owned by the Tirelli family, whose aristocratic origins can be traced back to France, for over 400 years. They have said they believe it was made by a Norman artist in 1100.
The Latin-inscribed triptych tells the story of Walter Tirel, or Gaultier Tyrrell, who was involved in the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and whose son of the same name killed William II, the son of William the Conqueror, by firing an arrow into his lung during a hunting expedition in the New Forest. In the centuries since, historians have debated whether the killing was deliberate or accidental.
The first slab features a group of warriors, led by “Tirelli” and “his brother Hrolfre”, who travelled from the Orkney islands to Normandy and who converted to Christianity along the way.
The painting then recalls the Battle of Hastings and the death of William II, along with his killer’s attempt to seek pardon. The final slab depicts Tirel’s escape from Langham near Colchester to Normandy after the killing.
“This was our ancestor who killed the king,” said Alexandro Tirelli, a representative of the Tirelli foundation.
Other than England, the Normans invaded Wales, Scotland, Ireland and southern Italy.
“The other unbelievable thing is that, while we don’t know who the painter was, experts believe they were completely aware of the Bayeux tapestry as one of the images was very similar to that, so in some way they were linked,” said Tirelli.
The family said the works were assessed by independent historians and antiquities experts in Italy and the UK.
Tirelli said the experts dated the works to 1100, but that the stone was cut at the top in subsequent periods, and restored and overpainted in some areas, “as would be done for an antique piece of furniture kept in the house or a commonly used object”.
He added that the experts had told the family that the Latin may have been rewritten during the Renaissance period.
Some historians, however, have cast doubt over the age of the works.
“The style of writing and the choice of spelling are both from much later than the 12th century,” said Daniel Power, professor of medieval history at Swansea University. “The Latin phrases that are visible on the photographs published contain several grammatical errors, and they do not appear to make sense.
“An art historian would be able to establish if the paintings are not simply crude imitations of the Bayeux Tapestry, made after that magnificent embroidery became well known in the 18th century.”
Since having the works assessed, the family has received several offers, one in the region of €3m (£2.55m), from buyers in Saudi Arabia as well as a “very well known” American businessman. The Tirelli family is bound by privacy contracts not to disclose their identities.
“The family really doesn’t care about the money,” said Tirelli, adding it is more important to bring the works back to the places it depicts. “So we would like to find an agreement with a public authority and donate it to a museum in Colchester or Scotland.”
It is unclear when the triptych arrived in Italy, but experts believe it travelled to Guernsey and Gibraltar along the way. The artwork is now stored in Austria.
“I believe its next destination will be the UK,” said Tirelli.
• This article was amended on 8 March 2024 to include additional information regarding the restoration, overpainting and rewriting of the triptych.
