surrey celebrations
MAGNA CARTA 1215-2015 800 YEARS ANNIVERSARY
he Queen’s Row Barge is the jewel in the crown in a flotilla of around 200 craft of all shapes and sizes in a spectacular river pageant which will be the highlight of the 800th anniversary celebrations of the sealing of the Magna Carta. Residents and visitors can view the procession from many public locations along the River Thames from Hurley Riverside to Runnymede Pleasure Ground over the weekend of Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June 2015 (for full details of the route visit
thamesalive.org.uk/magnacarta). A copy of the Magna Carta will be transported downstream, along with ‘King John’ and the ‘barons’ and playlets will be acted out at seven locations along the route, telling the
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surreymagazineonline.co.uk
story of the writing of the document. It was in June 1215 that English barons assembled at Runnymede to challenge the authority of King John and on 15th June the Magna Carta was authenticated by the Great Seal. Magna Carta – Latin for Great Charter – was one of the most important documents of Medieval England and is recognised as the foundation of law and democracy in many parts of the world. The terms of Magna Carta were thrashed out over a period of weeks at an ancient meeting place on the banks of the Thames called Runnymede. At the time, King John was based at Windsor Castle and the barons had advanced west out of London to Staines. The ancient bridge crossing the river at Staines, first built by the Romans, provided a convenient access to the meadows on the
The Gloriana which led HM The Queen’s river procession for her diamond jubilee is the flagship for the Magna Carta 800th anniversary celebrations this June.
opposite bank. The terms of a deal between the king and the barons were finally agreed on 15th June 1215, the day traditionally regarded as marking the anniversary of the Charter. A key player in reconciling the two sides was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, one of the most brilliant scholars of the age. Four original copies of the charter – copies sent from Runnymede to the county sheriffs to read out – have come down to us, two are usually held in the British Library and one each in Salisbury Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral. As a result of Magna Carta, rulers could no longer govern unchallenged or without consent and this led to the establishment of the rights and freedoms we enjoy today.
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