Coloured initial from BL Royal 13 C V, f. 5v

Following the numbered list of chapters (some of the numbers are visible through the parchment in the right-hand column), the start of the main text is introduced by a large red initial 'B' and opening words in capital letters (now darkened to a silvery black, due to oxidisation). Image taken from f. 5v of Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, with preface and tables of chapters, imperfect at the end. 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.

bede coloured bl royal c v manuscripts medieval latin manuscript england theologian venerable bede anglo saxon illuminated initials medieval manuscript illustrated books medieval miniatures historia ecclesiastica british library

0750 - 1200

British Library

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