麻豆社

Dead Funny History: King John and the Magna Carta.

King John was one of England鈥檚 least popular monarchs. In this episode of Dead Funny History, historian Greg Jenner explores how his chaotic reign led to one of the most important legal documents in history: Magna Carta.

John wasn鈥檛 supposed to be king. As the youngest of eight children, he was nicknamed 鈥淛ohn Lackland鈥� and spent much of his early life overshadowed by his older brother, Richard the Lionheart. When Richard left for the Crusades, John couldn鈥檛 resist meddling 鈥� plotting to take the throne, stealing royal treasures, and even teaming up with the King of France.

Greg takes us through John鈥檚 many missteps: losing French territories, getting excommunicated by the Pope, and sparking a rebellion led not by peasants, but by angry barons. These posh rebels didn鈥檛 storm castles 鈥� they wrote a list. That list became Magna Carta, a charter that limited royal power and laid the foundations for modern democracy.

With jokes, sound effects, and a quiz to test your memory, this episode brings medieval history to life for families and fans of You're Dead To Me. You鈥檒l learn why John鈥檚 crown jewels ended up at the bottom of The Wash, how Magna Carta gave rights to widows and fish, and why even the Pope got involved in the drama.

Greg also explains how Magna Carta鈥檚 legacy lives on, despite John鈥檚 attempts to cancel it just weeks after signing. It鈥檚 a story of tantrums, treaties, and timeless principles, all told with humour and heart.

Writers: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Athena Kugblenu and Dr Emma Nagouse
Host: Greg Jenner
Performers: Mali Ann Rees and Richard David-Caine
Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse
Associate Producer: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
Audio Producer: Emma Weatherill
Researcher & Script Consultant: Dr Emmie Rose Price Goodfellow
Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy
Production Manager: Jo Kyle
Sound Designer: Peregrine Andrews

A 麻豆社 Studios Production

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