Romulus and Remus from BL Royal 19 E V, f. 32

Miniature of two consecutive events taking place on the bank of the Tiber: Romulus and Remus being suckled by a wolf, with Faustulus raising his hands in surprise, and Faustulus giving Romulus and Remus to Laurentia, with a full border containing the Royal arms of England surrounded by the Garter with the motto, 'Honny soit qui mal y pense', and surmounted by a crowned helm with a mantling in Edward IV's colours of red and blue and a crest of a lion, with two shields bearing the same arms differentiated by labels of three and five points for Edward's sons, Edward, prince of Wales, and Richard, duke of York, two banners held by angels bearing the royal arms of England, and a Yorkist badge of white ~rose-en-soleil~ with the motto 'Dieu est mon droit'; and an illuminated initial 'P'(rincipibus), at the beginning of book 1. Image taken from f. 32 of Romuléon. 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.