KING JOHN
The youngest son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, John was given the disparaging nickname John Lackland by his father and failure seemed to dog his reign. He was forced to cede most of England's remaining territories in France, managed to lose the Crown Jewels in the Wash and, after civll war erupted in England was obliged to mollify the barons by signing the Magna Carta (the 800th anniversary of which we celebrate this year).
Despite this seeming fecklessness John was in fact an educated and cultured man (and the first English speaking king since the Norman Conquest) who initiated many reforms. Perhaps his bad press comes from living in the shadow of his illustrious elder brother Richard the Lionheart and his infamous role in the (almost certainly fictional) Robin Hood stories.
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Stephen Church is professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, and widely acclaimed as an expert on twelfth-century kingship, especially the reign of King John. He is a member of the council of the Society of Antiquaries and is actively involved in the national commemoration of the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. His definitive biography of King John was published this year by Pan MacMillan to coincide with the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. |
