King's Library

The King's Library was one of the most important collections of books and pamphlets of the Age of Enlightenment. Assembled by George III, this scholarly library of over 65,000 volumes was subsequently given to the British nation by George IV. It was housed in a specially built gallery in the British Museum from 1827 to 1997 and now forms part of the British Library. The term 'King's Library' was until recently also used to refer to the gallery in the British Museum built for the collection, also called "Room 1", which now is called the "Enlightenment Gallery" and displays a wide range of objects relating to the Enlightenment. When George III became king in 1760 he did not inherit a library of any size, as George II had given the Old...