Resurrection of Christ from BL Royal 2 B VII, f. 280v

Detail of a miniature of four scenes of the Resurrection in quatrefoils, with (top left) Christ lying in the uncovered sepulchre, with soldiers apparently repulsing a disciple (perhaps Joseph of Arimathaea), (top right) Joseph sent by the Jews to prison, (bottom left) the Resurrection of Christ, with two angels in clouds above, and two sleeping soldiers in the foreground, (bottom right) Christ with resurrection cross delivering Joseph from prison. Image taken from f. 280v 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.