WIDELY famed for its bird's-eye view of the Tower of London, which is endlessly reproduced in both scholarly and popular contexts, Royal MS 16 F. ii in the British Library is of major interest to all students of the work of Charles of Orleans because it is the only medieval manuscript copy of his work to have been supplied with major illustrations. His poems take up rather more than half of the volume's 248 leaves and the associated miniatures account for three of the six fully illuminated pages in the book. It has always been clear from copious internal heraldic evidence that the manuscript once belonged to Henry VII, first of the Tudor kings, who came to the throne in August 1485 after his victory over Richard III at Bosworth. Only recently was it recognised that this lavish commission was originally intended for his Yorkist predecessor, Edward IV, who died in April 1483.

The manuscript is designed on a grand scale, fit indeed for its intended royal recipient. It consists of 248 leaves of stout, good quality, well prepared vellum, each measuring approximately 14½ by 10½ inches (370 by 270 mm), written 22 lines to the page within a ruled space of 8¾ by 6¼ inches. In addition to the selection from Charles's poetry (fols. 1r–136v), it contains fictitious letters of the abbess Heloise on the theme of love (fols. 137r–187v), ‘Les demandes damours’ (fols. 188r–210r) and a treatise for the instruction of a prince (fols. 210v–248v).