[MR] Wikipedia and Others: Demise of King John

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1216, King John of Magna Carta fame (or shame) died at
Newark Castle in Nottinghamshire, England. He has since been known as "Bad
King John" by countless generations of bored school children.

John was arguably one of the worst kings in English history. His standing
wasn't helped when John lost nearly all the English-held lands in Normandy.
John's high-handed rule, cruelty, and fooling around with other men's
wives, provoked Magna Carta. When John didn't learn his lesson, many of his
barons rebelled. They invited Prince Louis of France (later King Louis
VIII) to come over and rule in John's place.

In mid-October 1216, John left King's Lynn in Norfolk for Nottingham. He
sent his treasure, including the crown jewels, via a shortcut across an
supposedly dry route through a lowland called the Wash. The caravan with
all his bling was caught by an exceptionally high tide, and was sucked down
into quicksand, never to be seen again. Already sick with dysentery, John
died a few days later at Newark Castle. It was a rather pathetic end to a
pathetic king.

You can read more about Bad King John at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John,_King_of_England .

There is also a very cheeky video about John at
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0fj06rd/-johnny-softsword-and-the-medieval-crown-jewels-mystery
. (It is pretty slow to load.)

Prince Louis ruled England for about one year, though he renounced any
claim to the throne and went home in exchange for a large bribe when the
barons united under John's son, the 9 year-old Henry III.

More about Louis is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VIII_of_France
.

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing the crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.