King John Signs The Magna Carta

King John Signs The Magna Carta

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The Magna Carta or "the Great Charter" in Latin, was agreed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15th June 1215.

It ended up establishing the principle, that not only the general population, but also the king himself - is subject to the law of the land.

First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons, it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons.

Neither side stood behind their commitments, and the charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III, leading to the First Barons' War.

The charter was later revived and eventually became part of English political life, typically being renewed by each monarch in turn.

This document, one of only four surviving is held at the British Library and is identified as "British Library Cotton MS Augustus II.106".

Originally authenticated with the Great Seal of King John, the original wax seal has been lost over the centuries.

In 2015, an edition of the Magna Carta was found in some archives in Maidstone, Kent UK.

Experts have valued it at around $15 million.

Rumour has it that there are 24 editions of the Magna Carta around the world, but as this story shows, there may still be some versions missing.......

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https://www.onthisday.com/photos/magna-carta

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https://ko-fi.com/thetudorintruders

A romanticised 1864 recreation of King John signing Magna Carta.

Rather than signing in writing, the document would have been authenticated with the Great Seal~James William Edmund Doyle