Paradise and Hell from BL Royal 2 B VII, f. 303

Detail of a two-register miniature of Peter admitting souls to Paradise and Satan receiving souls in Hell. Image taken from f. 303 of Psalter ('The Queen Mary Psalter'). Written in Latin, with French image captions.

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.

paradise bl royal b vii manuscripts medieval queen mary master westminster the queen mary psalter east anglia latin manuscript medieval miniatures westminster abbey london england book of psalms psalter psalms satan french manuscripts british library

1310 - 1320

British Library

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Public Domain