Today marks the 800th anniversary of King John consenting to the Magna Carta. On that day, King John and all monarchs succeeding him would no longer be above the law. It effectively marked the beginning of liberty and limited government.
Ceremonies commemorating the occasion will take place at Runnymede near the River Thames in Surrey. Fittingly, Queen Elizabeth II will be in attendance.
Last summer, one of the four existing copies of the Magna Carta was on display at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Here is my account of that visit.
