
About this episode
In the early 13th century, England was a kingdom under pressure, as the challenges posed by King John’s reign had left the realm restless. By 1215, tensions had reached boiling point. What began as isolated grumblings among nobles soon evolved into an organised challenge to royal authority – all building up to a showdown at Runnymede in 1215. In this first episode of HistoryExtra's Sunday Series on Magna Carta, Emily Briffett is joined by Nicholas Vincent to explore how John's disastrous reign set the stage for the charter.
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Want to learn more about Magna Carta and the world in which it originated? Emily Briffett has put together some essential reading, listening and viewing from the HistoryExtra archive to help deepen your understanding: https://bit.ly/3ZMTReR
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