Louis IX from BL Royal 16 G VI, f. 424v

Detail of a miniature of Louis IX curing scrofula. The only example of this image in a copy of the Grandes Chroniques, and the first representation of the scene. According to tradition after the king's unction with holy oil he will have the ability to cure scrofula, known as the 'king's evil'. The text emphasizes Louis's devotion in that he introduces the sign of the cross into the ritual: King Louis had the custom that while saying the words he always made the sign of the cross which by the virtue of Our Lord cures the sick more than the royal dignity.' (translation in Hedemann 1991 p. 70.) Image taken from f. 424v of Chroniques de France ou de St Denis. Written in French.

The BL Royal Manuscript Collection, also known as the Royal Collection, consists of over 2,000 manuscripts that were once owned by the British monarchs, including English and later British kings and queens from the late 12th to the 19th centuries. These manuscripts are notable for their historical and artistic value.

The collection was initially stored in various royal libraries and palaces, such as the Tower of London and Westminster Palace. During the English Civil War in the 17th century and the subsequent Interregnum, many royal treasures, including manuscripts, were dispersed and sold. Some manuscripts were lost, destroyed, or ended up in private hands.

In 1757, King George II donated the Old Royal Library to the British Museum (which later became the British Library), where the manuscripts were integrated into the museum's collections. This marked the formal establishment of the Royal Manuscript Collection within the British Museum.