History
Magna Carta (1215)
Magna Carta — the “Great Charter” — was forced on King John by his barons in 1215. It established the important principle that even the king was subject to the law, and it protected certain rights.
Key facts
- ◆ Magna Carta was sealed in 1215.
- ◆ It limited the power of the monarch for the first time.
- ◆ It established that the king, like everyone else, was subject to the law.
- ◆ It remains a symbol of the rights and liberties of the people.