Coronation of Charles VII from BL Royal 20 E V, f. 8

Miniature composed of four scenes: 1. France ravaged by the English; 2. A council of barons; 3. Lawyers reading opinions to Louis of Anjou and Sicily; 4. The coronation of Charles VII, with a full border containing the royal arms of England, a scroll with the motto 'Dieu et mon droit' and six portcullis badges of the Beauforts used by Henry VII; and an illuminated initial 'L'(an). Image taken from f. 8 of Chroniques de France ou de Saint Denis (from 1380 to 1422).

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.