What is Magna Carta?

13 March 2008

British Library poll reveals nearly half of us don’t know.

Nearly half the UK population (45%) don’t know what Magna Carta is according to a ‘You Gov’ poll commissioned by the British Library prior to the launch of its Magna Carta website www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/ Less than one in three people (32%) know that it set written limits on the authority of the monarch.

Those surveyed were asked to describe what Magna Carta is and what it did. Those in the 55+ age group were the best informed with 63% knowing it is a medieval charter and 37% correctly identifying that it restricted the power of the monarch. Only 39% of 18-24 year olds gave the correct answer describing the manuscript and 71% did not know what rights it restricted.

Magna Carta is often thought of as the cornerstone of liberty, but 23% had no idea of the significance of this iconic document and another 23% of those surveyed incorrectly thought that it stated that everyone was equal before the law. 19% thought that the document meant that the same laws applied throughout the UK although Magna Carta applied only to England.

Responding to the results of the poll, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw MP, said:

"If you asked an American if they had heard of their Bill of Rights, I expect they’d tell you it was a trick question. Such is the enormous iconic value of one of their cornerstone constitutional documents. In contrast, many British people struggle to put their finger on one of our own defining documents, Magna Carta. In Britain we have an innate sense of rights, but they have more existed in hearts and minds and habits than in explicit understanding. The challenge for today is to look for a new expression of our rights, and the responsibilities that go with them, which is relevant for the 21st century. Magna Carta remains an epochal moment in British history, with a resonance that still lasts today. I hope that our proposed new British Bill of Rights and Responsibilities will in time become as deeply engrained in our culture as its equivalent on the other side of the Atlantic."

Claire Breay, Head of Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts, said: "Magna Carta is one of the most celebrated manuscripts in English history and the most famous document in the British Library. Many misconceptions about its original purpose and content have been generated since it was granted in 1215. Our new website challenges these misconceptions by exploring Magna Carta's meaning, content and legacy."

The charter contains few statements of legal principle and very little of it deals directly with the villeins – the unfree peasantry – who formed the majority of the population. It failed to secure lasting peace in 1215 and only three clauses are still valid today, but the longevity and adaptability of a few key clauses have secured its iconic status. Above all, it established the critical principle that the king, like his people, was subject to the law.

The poll was commissioned to accompany the Library’s new website which explains the origins of Magna Carta, provides a timeline and allows visitors to see the document close up through Turning the Pages and read an English translation.

The British Library is producing a major exhibition on the subject of British political rights that will display cornerstones of British citizenship together for the first time. Taking Liberties: The Struggle for British Freedoms and Rights will open on 31 October 2008 and run until 1 March 2009.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,073 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 21st - 25th February 2008. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

For further information please contact Catriona Finlayson, PR Manager (Arts) on +44[0]20 7412 7115 or email: Catriona.Finlayson@bl.uk.

Notes for Editors:

Claire Breay, Head of Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts is available for interview, please contact the press office on 0207 412 7115 or email Catriona.Finlayson@bl.uk.

The British Library is the national Library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive research collection. Further information is available on the Library’s website at www.bl.uk