The collection of George III includes thousands of printed books and pamphlets, most of which can be consulted in the Rare Books and Music Reading Room.
About the collection
The collection of George III, who reigned from 1760 to 1820, contains books printed mainly in Britain, Europe and North America from the mid-15th to the early 19th centuries. It consists of 65,000 volumes of printed books and 19,000 pamphlets (as well as manuscripts and bound volumes of maps and topographical views).
Early in his reign the King decided to form a new royal library, one worthy of an 18th-century monarch. He instructed his agents to attend the major book sales held in London and on the Continent and they were successful in acquiring both individual volumes and entire private libraries.
From 1774 the King employed Frederick Barnard (1742-1830) as the Royal Librarian and under his systematic management the collection grew rich in classical literature, British and European history, English and Italian literature, and religious texts. Within these subject areas are some iconic early books, including copies of the Gutenberg Bible and William Caxton’s first edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
The King’s Library has had various homes during it existence. During George III’s lifetime it was kept first at the Old Palace at Kew and then at the Queen’s House (where Buckingham Palace now stands). After his death the collection was bequeathed to the nation by his son, George IV, and in 1828 it moved from its temporary home in Kensington Palace to the King’s Library Gallery in the British Museum. This would be the its home for the next 170 years, only being disturbed on 23 September 1940 by a Second World War bomb which destroyed over 400 volumes. In 1998 the collection was transferred to its present home in the British Library.
What is available online?
Many of the bindings in the King’s Library incorporate George III’s monogram, examples of which can be seen on the British Library's Database of Bookbindings.
What is available in our Reading Rooms?
Descriptions of the books and pamphlets in the King's Library (shelved in specific shelfmark ranges: 1.a.1 – 304.k.23 and C.1.a.1 – C.16.i.16) appear in Explore the British Library. Most volumes can be ordered into the Rare Books and Music Reading Room using Explore.
Further information
The following works are available on open access in the Rare Books and Music Reading Room:
- Goldfinch, John, 'Moving the King’s Library: Argument and Sentiment 1823-1998’ and ‘The King’s Library’, in Libraries within the Library: the origins of the British Library’s printed collections, ed. by Giles Mandelbrote and Barry Taylor (London: British Library 2009)
- Harris, P. R., A History of the British Museum Library, 1753-1973 (London: British Library 1998)
- Paintin, E. M., The King's Library (London: British Library, 1989)
Share this page
Please consider the environment before printing