Medieval kings and queens

Henry III during the Second Barons' War

Simon de Montfort and the barons’ crusade: why rebel lords waged holy war against Henry III

Queen Victoria on an ivory throne

Top 11 monarchs in British history

Old Norse: Page from the manuscript Codex Regius, which was written in Iceland and contains the poems of elder Edda. (Photo by Werner Forman/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

Blog Medieval matters #1: The Last Kingdom, Robin Hood and how to learn Old Norse in lockdown

A portrait of Isabella of Castile

Isabella of Castile: a brief guide to the medieval queen

King Richard I, aka Richard the Lionheart. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Richard the Lionheart may not have spoken English – plus 7 more surprising facts

Tomb of Richard the Lionheart

Q&A How did Richard the Lionheart die? And where is he buried?

A bust of Charlemagne

Charlemagne: creating the myth

An illustration of the barons compelling King John to ratify Magna Carta, 1215. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

6 facts about Magna Carta

William the Conqueror (1027–87), king of England from 1066 when he beat Harold II at the battle of Hastings. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

9 surprising facts about William the Conqueror and the Norman conquest

Portrait of Henry V

Q&A Why is Henry V's portrait in profile?

King John out hunting

8 things you (probably) didn’t know about medieval elections

A 15th-century map of the world illustrating a Latin edition of Ptolemy's the 'Geography'. (Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

General prehistory

12 alternative giant leaps for mankind – from carnivorism to Magna Carta

A portrait of Richard III. Was the last Yorkist king a usurper? Historian John Ashdown-Hill explains why this is a myth. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Did fear drive Richard III to the throne?

Painting of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, depicted on her knees in prayer wearing a head covering. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Margaret Beaufort: mother of the Tudors

BL52779 Roy 2 B VII f.78 Reaping corn harvest in August, from the Queen Mary Psalter, c.1310-20 (vellum) by English School, (14th century); British Library, London, UK; © British Library Board. All Rights Reserved; PERMISSION REQUIRED FOR NON EDITORIAL USAGE; English, out of copyright

PLEASE NOTE: The Bridgeman Art Library works with the owner of this image to clear permission. If you wish to reproduce this image, please inform us so we can clear permission for you.

What did Magna Carta mean to the English in 1215?