Mitres and crosiers, and the arms Frederick II from BL Royal 14 C VII, f. 149

Marginal drawings of an inverted mitre and crosier referring to the death of William de Raley, bishop of Winchester, mitres and crosiers in the upright position indicating the election of Lawrence of St Martin as the bishop of Rochester, a drawing of an inverted mitre with a crosier referring to the death of Richard de Wendene, bishop of Rochester, and a drawing of an inverted arms of Frederick II with five inverted crowns, referring to his death. Image taken from f. 149 of Historia Anglorum, Chronica majora, Part III; Continuation of Chronica maiora. Written in Latin.

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.