Pope Gregory and Peter the Deacon from BL Royal 15 D V, f. 218

Detail of miniature of Pope Gregory in discourse with Peter the Deacon, with royal arms. Image taken from f. 218 of Les omelies Saint Grégoire pape (f. 1); La Fleur des Histoires (f. 218); Exemples Moraux (f. 259v). 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.