Monday, June 15, 2015

Magna Carta

Today marks the 800th anniversary of the signing of (the) Magna Carta. The Guardian reports on the current royal person in attendance.  They state:

The site is now a National Trust park, but Runnymede was originally chosen as the agreed venue because the boggy ground prevented either the king or his barons from bringing their armies for battle. This time, the sovereign arrived without military backup but to a new fanfare, specially composed by John Rutter and sung by Temple church choir, whose London base served in 1215 as the London HQ for the beleaguered king.Her Majesty was invited to unveil a plaque by the master of the rolls, Lord Dyson, who has in the past described Magna Carta as “a curious hotch potch”.

 The document is in a sense an establishment of the English Class system. The Barron's wanted their "rights", as best they were understood at the time, and also they all despised King John, a man easily so despised. This was in no way a document for the people and the very concept of a "right" had a few centuries to mature.

Notwithstanding, it is always good to celebrate a day when one person rule gets a comeuppance.