ON this day in 1215, the historic document was signed at Runnymede, Surrey.
King John I of England was born on 24th December 1166. As the fourth son, he was not expected to inherit lands, leading to the nickname John Lackland.
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However, after the untimely deaths of his older brothers, without heirs, John became king in 1199. As such, he became ruler of the Angevin Empire, which included the regions of Aquitaine, Normandy and Brittany.
However, after a series of unsuccessful wars, King John lost all of his territories in Northern France.
In order to fund his futile attempts to regain Normandy and Brittany, the king imposed heavy taxes on the English barons.
Failure to comply was severely punished, with barons having their lands seized or male children kidnapped and ransomed.
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Disquiet grew and, after a particularly humiliating defeat of John’s allies in the Battle of Bouvines, the barons rebelled. This commenced the First Barons’ War. Their cause quickly gained momentum and they captured London.
Forced to negotiate, the king met with the rebels at Runnymede. The resulting agreement was written up and dubbed the Magna Carta (the great charter).
It was signed 810 years ago today.
This was the first time in English history that rules were imposed to limit the power of the monarch. Previously, it was believed that under the divine right of kings, monarchs derived their right to rule from God and as such were not subject to any other earthly authority.
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A council of 25 barons was formed in order to uphold the agreement and the rebellion was over… for 10 weeks.
The Pope declared the charter null and void, breaking the terms of the peace agreement. As tensions grew once more, King John died on 19th October 1216. When nine-year-old Henry III took the throne, he agreed to honour the charter in order to keep the peace.
The Magna Carta was reissued several times over the 13th century before eventually becoming a part of English law.
Much of the charter is no longer relevant, having been specifically written to address rights and customs within a feudal system.
However, four of the original 63 clauses are still valid in English law today. The most famous clauses are 39 and 40:
No free man shall be seized, imprisoned, dispossessed, outlawed, exiled or ruined in any way, nor in any way proceeded against, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and the law of the land.
To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice.
This demands a right to due legal process. It has been noted that the expectations of justice and a fair trial inspired elements of the Declaration of Independence and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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About the author
Katrina Vasey – Bingo Editor, The Sun
After graduating from Southampton University with a degree in English Literature, Katrina Vasey worked as a Content Editor for Law Business Research’s publication the International Law Office. Katrina joined The Sun in 2022 as the Bingo Editor, covering the four gaming platforms: Sun Bingo, Fabulous Bingo, Sun Vegas and Fabulous Vegas.