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The Christian Monarch 700-1400
The manuscripts in this section span the history of England from a century after the Anglo-Saxons’ introduction to Christianity to the late Middle Ages. [22 items]
The Christian Monarch 1400-1600
These manuscripts reflect the changing relationship of English monarchs to the Church from the late Middle Ages to the reign of Henry VIII. [21 items]
Edward IV: Founder of the Royal library
The illuminated manuscripts collected by Edward IV attest to why his court was considered by one visitor as ‘the most splendid court in all Christendom’. [15 items]
Instruction: How to be a King
The manuscripts here offered young princes, and more mature royalty, instruction and models on which to base their lives. [25 items]
The World's Knowledge
The manuscripts featured here were presented to (or appropriated by) English kings as books of reference and learning. [25 items]
Royal Identities
These books aided monarchs in presenting and understanding their royal identities, distinct from other men's through descent and coronation. [18 items]
The European Monarch
Many of the most beautiful manuscripts acquired by English monarchs originated not in England, but in France or the Burgundian Netherlands. [21 items]