Jason aus BL Royal 20 D I, f. 33v

Detail of a miniature of Jason rowing out from Colchis, watched by Medea and other women to the island where the ram is kept. He yokes the pair of fire-breathing bulls, ploughs the field and sows the dragon's teeth; he then cuts down with his sword the dragon that guards the golden ram. Image taken from f. 33v of Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César, part 3 of the second redaction. 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.