Negotiations between the British Museum and Greece to return the Elgin Marbles have collapsed after five years of discussions reopened in 2021. Greece has signalled that talks are unlikely to resume amid frustration over lack of progress, with Athens viewing the sculptures as stolen cultural property that should be returned permanently. The impasse stems from the British Museum's position that it is legally barred from permanently giving away objects and can therefore only offer a loan, whilst Greece demands full repatriation of the ancient Parthenon sculptures taken by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century.

The failed negotiations had explored a loan model based on the Bayeux Tapestry partnership, which would have seen Greece send rotating selections of ancient artefacts to the UK in exchange for the eventual return of the marbles. The Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Marbles, comprise sculptures, plaques and friezes that Lord Elgin removed during a visit to the Parthenon temple in Athens and subsequently sold to the British government in 1816. Ironically, the British Museum's recent success in borrowing the Bayeux Tapestry from France—which arrived in London in July after more than 900 years in France—demonstrates a successful template for cultural diplomacy, with the museum generating £2.5 million in ticket sales in a single day and expecting approximately 7.5 million visitors to view the historic textile.