Liebhaber und Gott der Liebe aus BL Royal 19 B XIII, f. 3v

Two miniatures in two compartments: the Lover (L'Amans), being pierced by an arrow, kneeling before the God of Love (Diex d'Amour) and holding a scroll reading 'Sa mon gre e sauourousaite', and 4 figures including women, a nun and a queen, all pierced by arrows holding scrolls with verses, including 'Lonc temps vivre ne pouray', 'Ay ay nus ne doit amer', 'Dame merci si forment', 'lonc temps servi ay', 'Parmi la forest damours', 'Joliaitement me maintendray', 'Qui longuement pourait', 'Longue demouree fet', 'Je ne lay mie mes vous', 'Ma dame ie vous aim', 'Vray diex que feray iane', 'Lasse iai failli a ioie'. Image taken from f. 3v of Roman de la Rose. 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.