The four surviving copies of the Magna Carta from 1215 are being bought together for the first time in history next February as part of an event to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of the historic document.
The Magna Carta (Great Charter) was agreed to by King John in 1215, as his barons revolted and civil war was imminent. By signing the document, John acknowledged that the king was not above the law, it also granted a range of rights to English citizens. Many consider The Magna Carta to be the foundation of democracy in Britain.
Two of the surviving 1215 Magna Carta documents are kept at the British Library, one of which was severely damaged in an 18th-century fire, and which has been carefully restored using new technology. One is currently at Lincoln Cathedral, and one at Salisbury Cathedral. On 3 February 2015, they will be brought together at the British Library.
To have all four documents together is a very special opportunity, this is the first time in history this will happen. The documents were all written by different scribes, we know this because of the different handwriting. Once finished, they would have been sent out to various recipients. It is not known how many copies were created originally, but there are the only copies to survive from the Medieval period.
The Magna Carta is considered to be one of the world’s most influential documents, it has become a symbol of liberty and the rule of law. Now the British Library is offering just 1,215 people from around the world the chance to view the four documents side by side on 3 February 2015, via a ballot. Winners of the free ballot will meet the historian Dan Jones, and will be taken to view the four original Magna Carta manuscripts on display together.
Once this one-off event has taken place, the Lincoln and Salisbury copies will then return to their home institutions for further, separate exhibitions.
Image: Justin Henry, Flickr
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