As all good things must come to an end, so must bad things. On October 19, 1216, the fairly unsuccessful reign of King John, one of the most vilified monarchs in history, came to an end when he died of a fever at Newark Castle. John was the younger brother of the legendary Richard the Lionhearted—tough shoes to fill. Only a few years after succeeding … Continue reading Farewell, King John
On June 15, 1215, King John of England put his seal to the Magna Carta in the meadow at Runnymede, after months of negotiations with his rebellious barons. The Magna Carta was the first document forced on an English king by his subjects that basically said he couldn’t do whatever the hell he wanted. In return, the barons renewed their oaths of fealty to John … Continue reading The Great Charter
On April 6, 1199, King Richard I of England, best known as “Richard the Lionhearted,” died of an arrow wound in France, leaving his brother, John, King of England. Richard received his fatal blow on March 25, when he was out checking the work of sappers undermining a castle he was besieging. He foolishly wasn’t wearing any chainmail, despite the fact that missiles were being … Continue reading Death of a King
