May 28, 2013
Odiham celebrates Magna Carta 800th Anniversary in stitches
John Champion, Odiham Society.
The focal point of our plans to commemorate Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary is the Odiham Embroidery. The design for this magnificent embroidered panel depicting key events in Odiham’s rich history was officially unveiled in March, and stitching is now well under way by around 70 volunteers from the local community. It is likely to take around 18 months to complete.
The complex embroidery, designed by Odiham-based artist Mary Turner, depicts 800 years of local history from the time of Magna Carta. It features King John and the barons setting off for Windsor and Runnymede; visits by both Queen Elizabeth I and II; the meeting in Odiham that led to the founding of the veterinary profession in Britain; French prisoners of war held on parole at Odiham and North Warnborough during the Napoleonic war; and the great heavyweight boxing match between Mendoza and Humphreys in 1788 – among many other scenes.
Eleanor de Montfort, King John’s daughter, is also shown, along with her husband Simon de Montfort, who returned to join her Odiham Castle following the first Parliament with elected representatives in 1265.
The panel reflects the history of England as it was played out in this historic parish. This is very much a community project which will bring the both heritage of the Parish of Odiham and the sealing of the Magna Carta alive for residents and visitors, young and old alike.
The panel has been divided into individual parts that are being worked on separately by volunteer stitchers from Odiham and surrounding villages. Once completed, all the parts will be stitched on to the main canvas to complete the design.
Considerable research and planning has gone into the project to ensure authenticity of design, materials and stitching. It is being stitched in traditional materials and techniques that have been recommended by the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court and the National Needlework Archive in Newbury.
The embroidery will be finished and framed in time to be unveiled at the Odiham Magna Carta Festival on 23 May 2015.
On 6th June 2015 a walking event will recreate King John’s journey from Odiham to Runneymede, using the Basingstoke Canal towpath and ending in a picnic besides the Thames (with shorter versions for those unable to manage the full 40 miles!). Sequential bell ringing on 14 June 2015 will begin at Odiham with successive towers along the way joining in until bells are ringing all the way to Wraysbury, Windsor and Runnymede.
There is much local support for our planned commemorations in Odiham, and the 800th Committee is a very useful resource which we will be making use of between now and 2015. We know that there are many other local communities like ours with historic ties to the events surrounding the sealing of the Magna Carta and we hope that Odiham residents and local people will visit events at other locations, beginning with St Albans in 2013, and visitors will join our celebrations at Odiham.
We would hope that our events will be part of a network of celebrations across our region and indeed the whole of the UK, tying into the major national and international events which are in the pipeline. It is a going to be a hugely exciting time, and the people of Odiham are rightly proud of the role their village played in events which helped shape the world for the past 800 years.
May 23, 2013
Annual Magna Carta Lecture at Lincoln
Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, formerly President of the UK’s Supreme Court, will give the Annual Magna Carta Lecture at Lincoln Cathedral this year.
The lecture will be given on Friday 14th June at 7pm and tickets are free.
Click here for more details.
January 29, 2013
MPs call for the most radical reforms since “Magna Carta”
In a report published today, the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee calls for more autonomy and fiscal powers for local government in England. The Select Committee lays out the steps to the most radical modernisation of the relationship between local and central government since the Magna Carta, replacing subservience with a partnership of equals. Click here for more information.
A Word from the Magna Carta Trust:
Lord Dyson, Chairman.
Thanks to the 800th Committee for pressing ahead on planning for the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215, and starting the commemoration in St. Albans this coming August. Why then? Because the first time the Barons gathered to discuss their petition to King John for the restoration of Englishmen’s rights was the first week in August 1215.
Much work has already taken place, started by my predecessor as Master of the Rolls and thereby then Chairman of the Magna Carta Trust, Lord Neuberger, who is now the President of the Supreme Court. His set of objectives for the 800th steering committee in 2009 gave challenge to what could and should be done in order to properly recognise the importance of the Magna Carta to this country and the world. Since then there has been much planning and many people have joined the work of the 800th Committee, the 800th Advisory Board, the working Sub-Committees and other voluntary roles.
Why was the early start necessary? Because it takes months, or in many cases years, to plan, raise funds, and execute the many activities which will take place from now until the anniversary year is ended. Her Majesty the Queen agreed early on to become patron of the Magna Carta Trust and the 800th Anniversary Commemoration. The Royal Mint has agreed to issue a commemorative £2 coin, both for circulation and for collectors, and a gold sovereign. Planning is well under way at the British Library (for the biggest exhibition the British Library have ever held), the Supreme Court (including a moot court charging the Barons and Archbishop with treason), and the Library of Congress for major exhibitions. Some Magna Carta towns’ planning is well advanced. Lincoln Cathedral has funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Lincoln County Council to rebuild its forecourt and properly display its 1215 copy of the Magna Carta. The BBC is active in supporting the commemoration as is the Daily Telegraph, who at the beginning of this year produced both a news story (written by the Telegraph’s Chief Reporter Gordon Rayner) and an op-ed piece (written by Philip Johnston) announcing some of the activities and reflecting the importance of the Commemoration under the headline ‘an old piece of parchment that made us a nation – celebrate it’. It observed that “pressure is growing in Parliament for a proper celebration.”
Many other ‘aspirations’ have been proposed for the commemoration by the committee. Not all will happen, but many will, and others will be developed between now and 2015, and I have every confidence that the coordination of the commemoration will be well managed by the committee going forward.
Committee Comments: Sir Robert Worcester
Chair, Magna Carta 800th Committee
Welcome to the first newsletter of the Magna Carta 800th commemorations. It is my honour to have been asked by the Magna Carta Trust to take on the task of Chairman of the 800th Committee and lead the efforts to fittingly commemorate a very rare thing indeed: a distant historical event which is still impacting the lives of each and every one of us today, here in the UK and right around the world.
There is of course a big focus on events in 2015, but it is important that we remember that the ‘Great Charter’ didn’t just come about overnight. 2013 will see the 800th anniversary of the first drafting of the Magna Carta being marked in St. Albans. Lesli Good of St. Albans City and District Council, outlines what they are planning in this newsletter.
Similar events will be taking place at all of the charter towns in the following two years, culminating at Runnymede on June 15th 2015.
The 800th Committee has a list of ‘aspirations’ which amounts to some 140 ideas. These can be viewed on our https://magnacarta800th.com/ website funded generously by HCL. Some of these have already been achieved, and we were delighted to be able to announce last year that the Queen has agreed to be patron of the Magna Carta Trust, as noted by Lord Dyson in his article.
There is still a long way to go, and we will not be able to get near our aspirations target without the effort of volunteers from up and down the UK and right around the world. Many have already shown remarkable effort and enthusiasm; their work to date is enormously appreciated and as we move towards 2015 will be both challenging and rewarding.
I would like to offer a sincere thank-you to everyone who has committed time and resources to this project so far, and make an open offer to anyone who thinks they can help, or who has ideas about what we should be doing.
Please do get in touch through our direct email addresses, [email protected], [email protected], our Magna Carta 800th website, our MagnaCarta800th twitter account, or our Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Facebook page.
Daily Telegraph coverage:
The Daily Telegraph started their association with the 800th Anniversary commemorations on New Years Day with a powerful article from Assistant Editor Philip Johnston. Read his thoughts on the plans for the coming months and years here.
They also covered our survey which revealed that one in seven adults in Britain had never heard of the Magna Carta. Read the Telegraph article here and our research here.
January 28, 2013
Surrey County Council withdraws Runnymede Interpretation Centre funding.
Interpretation Centre at Runnymede now looks, once again, unlikely.
For decades it has been the aspiration of the Magna Carta Trust to see an Interpretation Centre at Runnymede as a fitting tribute to what Lord Denning once described as “the greatest constitutional document of all time”, which would provide for Britain and the World an exceptional educational experience for the understanding of what the Magna Carta stands for the rule of law, and human rights for future generations.
For the past two years it seemed it might be a possibility. However, although first Runnymede Borough Council’s bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for core funding was rejected, and then it was hoped that Surrey County Council would step in, this now seems unlikely to be completed for 2015. Even if it can’t be accomplished in time to open on 15 June 2015, surely there is time to raise the funds for a cornerstone which the Queen can be asked to lay then, more than two years from now, for the legacy that an Interpretation Centre would represent.
As this newsletter went to press, Susie Kemp, Deputy Chief Executive of Surrey County Council, sent the following comment for the Newsletter:
Surrey County Council has decided to take a new approach to supporting the Magna Carta celebrations in two years. Although the county council thought the visitor centre was a good idea in principle it has decided against donating £5 million to the project. Instead the authority will team up with Runnymede Borough Council, the National Trust, the community and other organisations to seek other ways of celebrating the 800 anniversary.
It remains committed to celebrating the historic date in style at the same time as encouraging tourists to visit the Runnymede area and will continue to work to ensure there is a lasting legacy.”
Kicking off in St Albans
Lesli Good, St Albans City and District Council
It may not be widely known, but the build up to the sealing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215 actually began in St Albans on the 4 August 1213 when Barons and clergy met at St Albans Abbey.
It was at this meeting that the King’s Justiciar agreed to pay compensation for past grievances. This was a historic royal concession and quickly led to calls for general rights and privileges based on the Charter of Liberties of Henry I, which by then had become the template for Magna Carta.
So it is with considerable pride that we will be holding the first commemorations for the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta to mark this seminal moment. This will kick off two years of celebrations at charter towns up and down the UK and in countries worldwide where the Magna Carta has had an influence on people’s lives and liberties.
There will be a number of events taking place across the city and I wanted to give you a flavour of what we have planned.
On August 2nd we have Professor Vernon Bogdanor visiting to give a lecture at the Lady Chapel, St Albans Cathedral. Professor Bogdanor is one of Britain’s foremost constitutional experts and has written extensively on political and constitutional issues. He will be giving what I am sure will be a fascinating insight into the impact of the Magna Carta.
We will be holding a Magna Carta concert in St. Albans Cathedral, and a Magna Carta Evensong sung by a visiting choir, St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rochester, United States, and with the Reverend Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, a renowned church historian, with considerable expertise on this period, speaking.
There will also be a two day medieval festival to bring to life the times and culture of 1213, and a schools programme exploring events and circumstances around Magna Carta.
The Museum of St Albans is showing an exhibition which will highlight the key individuals in the Magna Carta story including Bishop Langton, King John and three of the Barons as well as exploring the Henry I Coronation Charter and ‘ten other journeys to secure human/civic rights.’ ‘Magna Carta 1213: The Journey Starts Here’ will run from the 3rd June to 6th September 2013. The exhibition will be available as a touring exhibition for use by other charter towns or interested parties.
Meanwhile, St Albans Cathedral will be hosting the Lincoln Magna Carta, the first time that an original copy of the Magna Carta has been seen in St Albans.
Perhaps most uniquely, we will be publishing the “Manga Carta”, retelling the story of the Magna Carta in the style of Japanese manga cartoons. The book will be produced by local people and visitors working with a volunteer manga artist, and large scale versions of the artwork will be sited temporarily in the city centre.
There is still plenty to be done though and I would urge anyone who would like to be involved in, or contribute to, the St. Albans commemorations, please contact me directly at [email protected] or through the Magna Carta 800th website or twitter account. Any involvement small or large will be greatly appreciated.
More events will be added between now and the summer and we are very excited with what is shaping up to be a memorable festival and, we hope, a fitting start to the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary.
A Word from Westminster: Eleanor Laing MP
It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to pen a piece for the inaugural Magna Carta 800th newsletter. As chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary, I greatly enjoy working with Sir Robert Worcester, the committee members, and the many brilliant people who give their time and effort towards celebrating this momentous landmark.
The value and importance of the Magna Carta is recognised all over the world, but is all too often overlooked here in the United Kingdom. The ramifications of that day in 1215 when King John put his seal to the “Great Charter” are fundamental. The constitutional freedoms enjoyed today in the UK, the USA, across the Commonwealth, and beyond, all derive their roots back to that moment.
These commemorations are an opportunity for us to put the Magna Carta in its rightful place in our national history, as one of our greatest gifts to the world.
As some of you may know, one of the aspirations for the celebrations is for a Magna Carta Day holiday to be held on 15th June 2015, and each year beyond, to mark and remember the significance of the Magna Carta on our lives. Sir Robert has already put forward this proposal to the American Congress, to the Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Trinidad, Indian, South African and other Commonwealth Parliaments, and to the legislatures of all countries who hold our values.
Here in the UK, I presented a Private Member’s Bill in the House of Commons in September 2011, which was warmly received on all sides of the House and had unanimous support. With the ending of that parliamentary session, the Bill has lapsed.
I am very encouraged, however, by the Prime Minister’s reply to my letter to him about the proposed bank holiday. Although, for very good reasons he cannot support the proposals in my Bill, he said, ‘‘I am sure the public will rise to the challenge of celebrating this historic event in a variety of novel and entertaining ways and I would be happy to consider any other suggestions you have of ways in which I can help with those efforts’’.
Meanwhile I continue to muster support for all our aspirations here in Westminster and look forward to the growing enthusiasm of my colleagues in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
A View from the States:
Colonel James Durant: American Bar Association
The American Bar Association is proud to join our esteemed colleagues in the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth nations in honouring the 800th Anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.
In anticipation of this event, the American Bar Association created an ABA Magna Carta Anniversary Committee, chaired by ABA Past President, Stephen Zack. Under Mr Zack’s leadership, the ABA Magna Carta Anniversary Committee began plans for events within the United States and abroad leading up to a delegation of U.S. lawyers to be present in London and Runnymede to participate in the events planned during June 2015.
The American Bar Association is investigating the possibilities to refurbish and repair the Magna Carta Memorial, in Runnymede (pictured above). Additionally, the American Bar Association has adopted the theme of Magna Carta for its Annual Law Day in 2015. This Law Day will involve numerous events at primary schools, colleges, law schools, and law firms involving thousands of people focused on Magna Carta.
Plans are also underway for lectures in the United States, including a traveling tour of the Magna Carta. Further, the ABA is planning events at numerous American Bar Association meetings in 2015 that will include panel discussions, presentations, and other Magna Carta Anniversary activities. There is already a commemorative postage stamp honouring Magna Carta, and there are plans for a special ABA edition of a commemorative book on Magna Carta.
The American Bar Association is committed to the principles of Liberty and Justice as set forth in the Magna Carta.
Magna Carta Today:
Anyone keeping a close eye on Parliament in December will have noted the Magna Carta being raised by Lord Mitchell in the House of Lords as well as in a question during PMQs from John Hemming, Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley, in which he asked if the Prime Minister was planning to repeal the Magna Carta.
We were all delighted when the Prime Minister confirmed he had no such plans, but the context of the question is interesting.
Hemming’s question revolved around the Government’s plans for reform of the judicial review process in the UK. His premise was that the plans were a contravention of article XXIX of Magna Carta 1297.
This article states that:
NO Freeman shall be taken or imprisoned, or be disseised of his Freehold, or Liberties, or free Customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or any other wise destroyed; nor will We not pass upon him, nor condemn him, but by lawful judgment of his Peers, or by the Law of the Land. We will sell to no man, we will not deny or defer to any man either Justice or Right.
The Government’s plans, included in the current Justice and Security Bill, are to curb the right to Judicial Reviews, and the time limit in which an application for Judicial Review can be made from three months to six weeks.
Their position is that the extent and number of judicial reviews has grown significantly in recent years and we now have a system in which abuses were proving costly to both business and government.
As David Cameron noted himself in his reply, the Government plans are intended to “maintain access to justice, but perhaps speed up the wheels of government a little.”
However, former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf has recently argued on Radio 4 that “In our system, without its written constitution embedded in our law so it can’t be changed, judicial review is critical. This marks a departure.”
Hemming went even further in drawing the link to the Magna Carta, and also provided a timely reminder of the role the Magna Carta plays to this day in underpinning the legal rights we all value so highly.
It is likely that changes to the Judicial Review process will be introduced in some form, but the speed and urgency in which the Prime Minister sought to quash Hemming’s accusation is a clear indication of the importance of the Magna Carta today.
Lord Mitchell asked a question in the House of Lords of Lord McNally, who spoke for the Ministry of Justice. He called for the octocentenary to “be celebrated with all pomp and international ceremony” and suggested an exhibition of all four remaining Magna Cartas in Westminster Hall.
Several Peers spoke on the matter including Baroness Ramsey of Cartvale, who called for the statues of the sealants of Magna Carta in the House of Lords chamber to be cleaned for the occasion. Lord McNally quite rightly endorsed this suggestion wholeheartedly, and it is something that the 800th Committee will discuss with the House of Lords authorities in the coming months.
Social Media:
The Magna Carta 800th Committee is now fully set up on all of the big social media platforms and I would like to encourage all those interested in what we are doing to follow us, like us, befriend us, and talk to us online.
While this newsletter will give you comprehensive updates on what we are planning, it is only on social media that you can get real-time, up to the minute updates on all Magna Carta and 800th Anniversary-related developments.
While we cannot promise to respond to every message sent, we will certainly be trying our best, and all ideas or suggestions sent to us will be passed onto the 800th Committee at their monthly meetings.
Our twitter account is @magnacarta800th, and please use the hashtag #MC800th with all your Magna Carta tweets.
We can be found on Facebook as Magna Carta 800th Anniversary, so please do add us as a friend for regular updates on news and events.
There is also a group to be found on LinkedIn, called Magna Carta 800th anniversary, where we will be posting updates and also engaging with members on some of the key questions we have to resolve in the coming two years.
If you prefer to see everything that is happening, please visit our Flickr Page or our Youtube page, for photos and videos of everything that is happening both centrally, in the charter towns, and overseas. Please do forward any pictures or videos you may have to us for inclusion in these sites.
January 23, 2013
Salisbury aims to be centre stage in Magna Carta celebrations
THE Magna Carta is 800 years old in 2015, and plans are underway to ensure Salisbury is at the centre of celebrations, locally, nationally and internationally. Click here to read more on this news story from the Salisbury Journal.
January 21, 2013
The Great Charter Play
The 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta to be brought to the stage in ‘The Great Charter’ being written by playwright Steve Hawes
A play about events that led to the most significant constitutional document ever drafted, according to Lord Denning, The Great Charter, has been commissioned in support of the official commemoration of the Magna Carta 800th anniversary in www.bestintime.me 2015.
Playwright Steve Hawes has been commissioned to write the play by Sir Robert Worcester, Chairman of the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Commemoration Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Magna Carta Trust, and entertainment entrepreneur David Nicholas Wilkinson. Entitled The Great Charter, it is intended that the play will be presented to audiences in London’s West End as well as many of the Magna Carta towns such as Canterbury, Bury St Edmunds, Lincoln, Oxford, Salisbury and Windsor/Runnymede. The play may also travel to Broadway since the American Constitution echoes the Magna Carta. The American Bar Association erected a monument at Runnymede in the 1950s in recognition of its place at the very foundation of the US Constitution of 1787.
The Great Charter will be based upon the dramatic events running up to the sealing of the Magna Carta by King John and is being produced through Sir Robert Worcester and David Wilkinson’s production company, Allington Productions.
You can find more best replica watches information about the play by clicking here.
January 1, 2013
Daily Telegraph: let’s celebrate Magna Carta
“The 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, in 2015, is fast approaching, and we should do it justice” argues Philip Johnston in the New Year Day’s edition of The Daily Telegraph.
Click here to read the full article.
December 31, 2012
85% of British adults say they have heard of the Magna Carta
More than eight in ten British adults, 85%, some 38 million people, say they have heard of the Magna Carta, putting it ahead of the King James Bible, 70%, and such relatively little known ancient books and manuscripts as the Codex Sinaiticus, 13%, and Textus Roffensis (5%). The Magna Carta (in modern English “Great Charter”) was sealed, not signed, when King John bowed to the Barons’ demands at Runnymede, Surrey, in 1215, nearly 800 years ago.
Slightly fewer have heard of Magna Carta than the US Declaration of Independence of 1775 (90%) which includes principles derived directly from Magna Carta.
Prime Minister David Cameron was embarrassed to admit he didn’t know what the English translation of Magna Carta was, nor when it was ‘signed’, when asked on American TV in September, (The Letterman Show) but he did know that Runnymede was the site. Now we know that he isn’t entirely alone among the British people, but one person in five, 21%, nearly ten million people, did know when, where and by whom it was agreed (not ‘signed’ as Letterman asked), according to a Ipsos MORI/King’s College London poll of 1,005 nationally representative British adults interviewed by telephone 20-24 October 2012.
When probed in more detail, the survey showed that of those who had heard of the Magna Carta, six in ten, nearly 23 million, knew that Magna Carta guaranteed the Rule of Law, nearly half Trial by Jury, and around a third Democracy and Basic Human Rights, three in ten freedom from arbitrary arrest. Some guessed wrong, as the Magna Carta didn’t promise freedom of speech although 36% thought it did, nor the right to vote (21% thought wrong) or equal rights for women (9%). Although seven in ten younger people, 18-34 (six in ten of those under 25), had heard of Magna Carta, 87% of 35-54s had, as had 95% of those 55 and over. Awareness was highest in the Midlands, lowest in Scotland. The age gap must say something about the neglect of teaching about the principles of Magna Carta in schools (perhaps even at Eton and Oxford?).
One in eleven (13%) of those who have heard of Magna Carta got the date it was agreed by King John spot on, 1215, and another 13% knew it was in the 13th Century/1200s. A third said at other times and four in ten admitted they didn’t know. The biggest age disparity was on where it was agreed, as only 8% of 18-24s knew Runnymede, while 42% of the 65 and over age group knew. The one thing where the youngsters were ahead of their elders was knowing that the Magna Carta guaranteed the Rule of Law (72% v. 60%).
Click on the following link to download a set of powerpoint charts illustrating the survey findings: MC Poll October 2012
December 19, 2012
Sir Robert interviewed by BBC Surrey
Chairman of the 800th Commemoration Committee, Sir Robert Worcester, was today interviewed by BBC Surrey about the plans to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta. To listen to the interview – click here (1hour 54 mins into the programme).
October 26, 2012
Magna Carta Trust’s 800th Commemoration Committee welcomes Surrey Council £5 million investment in new “Magna Carta Interpretation Centre” at Runnymede:
The Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Commemoration Committee welcomed today’s announcement by David Hodge, Leader of Surrey County Council, that it has agreed to fund a new “Magna Carta Interpretation Centre” at Runnymede.
Surrey’s contribution will be £5 million pounds towards the required £8 million cost of the fully fitted Centre. The remaining funding will come from donations, trusts, corporations and individuals’ contributions currently being sought by Runnymede Borough Council.
The Magna Carta Interpretation Centre will welcome British and international tourists and education groups to Runnymede, and provide them with the chance to learn about the impact and context of the Magna Carta, both its history and its relevance today to peoples’ lives throughout the world.
The Magna Carta is the cornerstone of liberty, individual freedom, and democracy here in the UK and across the world, yet many people remain unaware of its historical context and how it impacts on their lives today. This Interpretation Centre will help to put that right and restore the Magna Carta’s rightful place at the heart of British culture, and as a seminal event in English and global history.
It will also be a great boost to international tourism, providing a fitting focal-point to mark the sealing of this historic document and at the same time be of great educational benefit to the school children of Surrey and other school groups.
Commenting on the announcement, Sir Robert Worcester, Chair of the Magna Carta 800th Committee said:
“The support announced today by David Hodge of a £5 million grant to provide an Interpretation Centre for the Magna Carta at Runnymede sends a signal to the entire world that the people of Surrey recognise the importance of the Magna Carta.”
“The late Lord Denning described the Magna Carta, as ‘the greatest constitutional document of all times – the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot’. Surrey County Council have now ensured that Runnymede will host a fitting memorial to one of the county’s most significant events.”
Rt. Hon Philip Hammond MP, Member of Parliament for Runnymede and Weybridge, said:
“I strongly welcome Surrey County Council’s support for the Magna Carta celebrations. The Interpretation Centre at Runnymede, adjacent to the plain on which the Magna Carta was agreed by King John, will provide the people of my constituency, of the UK, and all the democratic nations of the world with a focus for the teaching of the importance of the Magna Carta, and a place to pay homage to the freedom and liberty for which it stands.”
Stephen Zack, Former President of the American Bar Association (ABA) and Chairman of the ABA’s Magna Carta Committee said:
“Nearly fifty years ago, in 1965, the American Bar Association provided a memorial to the memory of that foundation of liberty, the Magna Carta, at Runnymede, where 750 years before, the Magna Carta was sealed. In 2015, fifty years later, ABA members will be at Runnymede, joining with others from all the Commonwealth nations and democratic societies. We commend the people of Surrey and their County Council for taking the initiative to fund this much needed interpretation centre.”
Notes to Editors:
For more information on the Magna Carta 800th Committee’s work, and planned events in the run-up to the 800th anniversary in June 2015, or to arrange an interview with Sir Robert Worcester, Chairman of the Magna Carta 800th Committee, please contact David Spencer at Chelgate on 07866 349745, or [email protected]. Also for further information see: www.magnacarta800th.com.
September 30, 2012
Daily Mail: 15 Things Everyone Should know
Click here to see a Daily Mail article that argues the Magna Carta is one of the 15 things that everyone should know about British history.
September 28, 2012
BBC News: Magna Carta Unpicked
Click here to link to the BBC News Magazine, which shows the three clauses from the Magna Carta that are still part of law today.
April 18, 2012
Lincoln Castle to get £19m improvement
Lincoln Castle is to receive almost £19m for refurbishments, the county council has announced.
Planned work includes a new vault to showcase the Magna Carta, repairs to the castle wall and the restoration of two prison buildings.
The refurbishment is being part-funded by a £12m grant from the Lottery.
The county council is providing £5.2m towards the project and has made a £1.1m bid for European funding. The rest will rely on fundraising efforts.
Lincoln Castle was built in 1068 and has housed the Magna Carta since 1215.
The new vault will showcase the famous document, one of only a handful of surviving originals.
‘Top attraction’
Refurbishments to the two prison buildings will see the Victorian male prison opened to the public for the first time in several decades.
A new shop, cafe, toilets and education space will also be built and disabled access will be improved.
Once completed, admission to the castle grounds through the east and west gates will be made free during the day.
Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This project will make Lincoln Castle one of the country’s top historic attractions, attracting thousands more visitors.”
Work is scheduled to begin next month with an official re-opening planned for April 2015, to coincide with the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta.
Original Source: BBC – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-17541084
February 29, 2012
National Archives translates the Magna Carta into English for the 21st century
WASHINGTON — To most Americans, England’s “Magna Carta,” or “Great Charter,” is a dead-tree document from the 13th century. Written in medieval Latin and dealing with arguments between long-dead kings and their nobles, the document is impenetrable.
On Friday, the National Archives in Washington, D.C., brought it into the 21st century with a new interactive exhibit.
Why should Americans care about this charter?
Read up on the founding fathers and the American Revolution.
“If you read the early writings of Hamilton, Jefferson and Adams, and Madison, many times they say, it’s because of the Magna Carta that we’re doing this (rebelling against England),” says David M. Rubenstein, who loaned the document to the National Archives. He is the co-founder and managing director of the Carlyle Group.
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/02/17/139254/national-archives-translates-the.html#storylink=cpy
February 10, 2012
Patched and Improved Magna Carta Unveiled
The National Archives unveils its 715-year-old copy of Magna Carta after a conservation effort removed old patches and repaired weak spots in the English declaration of human rights that inspired the United States’ founding documents.
October 28, 2011
The Queen is Patron
The Queen to be the Patron of the Magna Carta Trust for 800th Anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta Trust is delighted to confirm that Her Majesty has kindly agreed to become its Patron. The commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta will take place at Runnymede on 15th June 2015.
Announcing the news as Her Majesty addresses the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in Perth, Australia, the Trustees stated that they were “greatly honoured that Her Majesty has agreed to be the Patron”, and confirmed that this will be a major boost to their plans to celebrate the anniversary in democracies around the world.
The Chairman of the Magna Carta Trust, Rt Hon the Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, the Master of the Rolls, welcomed the announcement on behalf of the Trust, which includes the Charter Towns and their mayors. “On behalf of the Trustees, I am very proud that The Queen has graciously agreed to be our Patron as we approach the 800th Anniversary of this momentous day in British history, the sealing of the Magna Carta”, he said.
At the Trust’s meeting on 19th October, the Trust also announced that Sir Robert Worcester KBE DL would become Deputy Chairman of the Trust, alongside his role as Chairman of the 800th Anniversary Committee.
The Trust has an organising committee of volunteers which has been meeting since 2010, chaired by Sir Robert Worcester. The committee organised a launch event on 12th November 2010 at the American Bar Association memorial on Runnymede Meadows, and later at Royal Holloway University of London, which was hosted by Lord Neuberger, with guest speakers including the Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP, Lord Chancellor, and the Rt Hon Lord McNally, Minister of Justice, The Dean of Canterbury Cathedral the Very Rev Robert Willis, and the Treasurer of the American Bar Association.
“This is very exciting news for the volunteers who are already busy organising these celebrations”, said Sir Robert, “and will help us enormously as we work with sponsors, ambassadors, academics, lawyers and Parliamentarians to organise this 800th anniversary year around the world in 2015.”
A bid has also been made for this day to become a public holiday. On 7th September the first step toward securing 15th June 2015 as a bank holiday, to be called ‘Magna Carta Day’ was made when Eleanor Laing MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Magna Carta presented a Ten Minute Rule Bill, which was supported unanimously by the House of Commons.
The Trust has this week also launched a dynamic new website which will spearhead the 800th anniversary celebrations, and can be found at www.magnacarta800th.com.
ENDS
For further information please contact Nick Wood-Dow on 0207 939 7939 or 07713 681322.
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