King Arthur manuscript in private hands for 700 years to be sold publicly – Nationally
A medieval manuscript containing the first version of the famous legend of King Arthur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table, which has been privately owned for nearly 700 years, will be put up for public auction this summer.
Said to sell for more than USD $2.7 million (CAD $3.7 million), the document, which will be available at auction houses this summer, is believed to date from the 13th or 14th century and contains several distinguishing features, including 126 miniatures, one of which depicts Merlin as a stag, according to The Guardian.
Created sometime between 1210 and 1310, the soon-to-be-sold legendary account of King Arthur and the search for the Holy Grail, written in Old French from the Lancelot-Grail cycle, is written on vellum – high-quality leather – and decorated with gold leaf, according to Christie’s, a central London, UK, auction site.
The manuscript is wrapped in 17th century green velvet.
hristie’s Images Ltd. 2026
Only three manuscripts of this type are known to exist in private hands, Dr. Eugenio Donadoni, director of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts at Christie’s, told Global News.
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“It was a privilege to be able to work on this manuscript of this rarity and excellence: the stories are global, and still have a lot to offer in terms of research and entertainment,” he said.
“As Merlin himself prophesies in the text itself: ‘And the story will forever be told and heard with joy as long as the world lasts,'” added Donadoni.
He described the manuscript as “beautifully illustrated and rich” and “the first” of three in private collections.
The “almost unknown” manuscript has never been shown publicly or read in great detail, reported CNN, but it has a good list of previous owners, including a 15th century knight, a jouster, a “medievalist eccentric” and a 20th century industrialist named Jean Lebaudy, who was awarded for his two world actions ” Wars,” Donadoni told American media.
The manuscript dates back centuries and is thought to be one of the earliest texts containing the legend of King Arthur.
Christie’s
Christie’s expects the upcoming auction to attract many potential bidders.
“There are many attractive sides to this manuscript: history, historical art, text and culture. There is a Christian aspect – the Quest for the Holy Grail; a chivalric aspect: adventures, quests, jousts, battles,” Donadoni told Global News, adding that its appeal will probably extend to private buyers “for the same reasons that have opposed its owners in the past. 700 years.”
The document will be auctioned on July 8 in London, England.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
