How a Pre-Raphaelite Artist saved the Rosetta Stone

In October 2026 the Prince of Wales unveils, outside of the British Library, the Rosetta Stone. Why has it been moved from the British Museum? Why does it look more complete than previously seen? This book explores the story of the most popular item on display today in the British Museum. A peace-treaty between the rulers and the priests in northern Egypt about 200 BC, which would later be the key that unlocks the history of Ancient Egypt. It tells the commonly heard story of its creation, its discovery by Napoleon's troops, its move to and its presentation in the British Museum. But we also explore a more complex story involving nineteenth century discoveries in Egypt, the involvement of several Pre-Raphaelite artists, concerns about issues of presentation, calls for the return of museum artefacts to their original countries, and debates about the appropriateness of the way the Rosetta Stone is being used and possibly abused. We learn how parts of the stone were lost and found and restored. Eventually we discover how and why it was transferred to the British Library. A twenty-first century mystery, involving the most precious antiquity in Britain, is resolved.