Midianite camp from BL Royal 2 B VII, f. 34v
Summary
Miniature of Jerubbaal and his servant Phurah in the Midianite camp, in the upper register; and of the attack on the Midianites with Gideon and his men blowing their trumpets and holding their lamps, and the Midianites killing themselves, in the lower register. Image taken from f. 34v 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.