Magna Cartas to be displayed for 800th anniversary

Magna Carta outlined the right to a fair trial and the principle that no-one was above the law

Three rare Magna Cartas will go on display to celebrate the 800th anniversary of a 1225 issue.

Durham Cathedral will exhibit its three-piece collection next year, including the only surviving 1216 Magna Carta, along with issues from 1225 and 1300.

Magna Carta, or the "Great Charter", was first signed in 1215 and has been described as the most famous document in English history and a cornerstone of modern democracy.

The last time the medieval manuscripts were displayed in 2017, almost 19,000 people came to see them over 11 weeks, Durham Cathedral said.

Magna Carta outlined basic rights with the principle that no-one was above the law, including the king.

It also charted the right to a fair trial.

Four copies of the 1215 Magna Carta, granted by King John, survive and are displayed at the British Library, Lincoln Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral.

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It was reissued by Henry III in 1216, 1217, and 1225, but with changes.

The charter of 1216, for example, was considerably shorter - with 42 clauses instead of 63.

And the last time the Magna Carta was issued under the king's seal - this time King Edward I - was in 1300.

Three forest charters will also be displayed at the cathedral.

They are practical documents granting access to land and natural resources.

Head of libraries and collections at Durham Cathedral Alison Cullingford said: "Due to their fragile nature and historical importance, these documents are rarely seen by the general public."