The Middle Ages Illuminated

The British Library is showcasing its treasure trove of illuminated manuscripts collected by the kings and queens of England between the 9th and 16th Centuries - from King Athelstan to Henry VIII. Take a look with lead curator Scot McKendrick, here.

From a piece in the Guardian about the exhibit...

It is a remarkable collection: 154 of the books are on display from a collection of more than 2,000, collected by kings from Athelstan, who described himself as the first king of Britain in the mid-10th century, to Henry VIII. That they have survived in excellent condition is largely due to the fact that George II donated many of them to the nation in 1757 and more came from a collection gathered by his grandson, George III. Their successor, the Queen, is touring the exhibition on Thursday.

Scot McKendrick, head of history and classics at the library, who has curated the exhibition, said: "These manuscripts are our best way of connecting with the Middle Ages. There is a great deal of fuss when bodies are excavated and analysed down to the contents of their stomachs, but these books have so much more to tell us about the monarchs and their lives."

It is likely that the kings themselves, and their queens and offspring, handled the books on display. One of the earliest, Athelstan's copy of the Gospels, dating from the early 10th century and possibly inscribed at Lindisfarne, has a note on one page describing the king's release of a slave named Eadhelm after his coronation in 925.