Magna Carta

The Artist and the King

The life of the artist Charles Sims and his controversial, little-known mural in St Stephen’s Hall, Westminster depicting King John at Runnymede. 

Magna Carta: The Atlantic Crossing

In no country is Magna Carta held in greater reverence than in the United States. Alexander Lock examines its crucial role in the founding of the republic’s political and legal system and looks at the Charter’s transatlantic transition.

Simon de Montfort and the Origins of Parliament

Just half a century on from Magna Carta, a radical noble, part idealist, part megalomaniac, came into conflict with King John’s son, Henry III. The result, argues Nigel Saul, was a form of assembly which shapes English political life to this day.

The Road to Runnymede

Magna Carta was born of the loss of King John’s French territories and his increasingly desperate – and expensive – attempts to regain them.

Magna Carta Matters

Nigel Saul marks the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta with a comprehensive overview of the landmark books that dominate the field.

The Opponents of King John

For the cogent reasons explained here by Anthony Beadles, the revolt against King John was led largely by the Northern barons.

What was Wrong with King John?

W.L. Warren makes an attempt to sift the facts from the lurid legend of an English monarch who has left a reputation for evil second only to Richard III’s.