Here’s a simplified introduction:
Bad King John, 1166 – 1216, got himself a whole lot of trouble. He lost his lands in France. Then he demanded huge taxes from his Barons to fight a war which ended in defeat. He even managed to lose the Crown Jewels in the sea. He angered his Barons so much that they forced him to approve a Great Charter (Magna Carta). Among other things he promised to behave himself!
The Bow Geezers were thrilled to be invited to the private view of the Magna Carta exhibition at the Society of Antiquaries in Piccadilly by Michelle Johansen.
The first version of Magna Carta was approved by King John on 15th July 1215. Three months later he got the Pope to cancel it. King John died in 1216, and John’s eldest son, Henry III became King of England at the age of nine. His guardian, William Marshall, had to contend with wars at home with the Barons, and against France.
The 1297 version of Magna Carta was added to the statute book. It led to the development of constitutional law and the rights of individuals in England. It limited the power of the Monarch, who was now subject to the law. It guaranteed the right to a fair trail, protected the Church of England, and prevented arbitrary seizure of property.
In 1217 The Charter of the Forest was issued as a complimentary document to the Magna Carta. A detail from it (in Latin) heads this article. It restored the rights of commoners to access woodland for firewood and grazing. A third of the land of southern England and had been seized for private use by monarchs, including King John. The exhibition contains two trees and greenery referencing this 1217 update.
The exhibition is on until 19th September 2025 at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BE. It’s open Weds – Fri 11 – 4pm, just turn up. Booking is required for the following evenings when it’s open until 7pm: 6 August, 27 August and 17 September.
I highly recommend this exhibition.
You might be interested in the Society of Antiquaries YouTube channel.
Alan Tucker