[Perdogg]

ping

[ThomasThomas]

Most people who use superlatives when describing historical figures need to study more history.

[Gen.Blather]

John forced himself on wives and daughters. Richard forced himself on the sons. What a family.

As I understood it, the charter was for the rights of nobles. Only later was it interpreted as the rights of all free men. The nobles and kings didn’t give a farthing for the common man.

[Texas Fossil]

Is King Putt due the same sort of bridling?

His offences are many.

[dainbramaged]

The 2011 film “Ironclad” covers the aftermath of King John signing the document - not sure about the historical accuracy but if you like storming castles, siege engines and bloody mayhem, check it out.

[Jacquerie]

In 1215, a sovereign king granted exceptions to his power.

In America 1788, a sovereign people granted exceptions to their powers to a government of their creation.

[Tzimisce]

Treason, promiscuity, raising taxes as high as he could get them, ceding land to hostile foreigners: this guy would be the Democrat front runner for president in 2015. :)

[Berlin_Freeper]

John King

[Hugin]

How bad was King John? Bad enough that his subjects invited the French to invade to help get rid of him. They never did though. He ended up dying of dysentery.

[ExGeeEye]

King John was not a good man —
He had his little ways.
And sometimes no one spoke to him
For days and days and days.
And men who came across him,
When walking in the town,
Gave him a supercilious stare,
Or passed with noses in the air —
And bad King John stood dumbly there,
Blushing beneath his crown.

King John was not a good man,
And no good friends had he.
He stayed in every afternoon…
But no one came to tea.
And, round about December,
The cards upon his shelf
Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,
And fortune in the coming year,
Were never from his near and dear,
But only from himself.

Moar

[Vigilanteman]

the most evil monarch in Britain's history . . .

There would be some stiff competition for that title.

1. Henry VIII murdered at least one of his wives on false charges, had 3% of his population executed mostly on petty charges and executed other relatives for nothing more than the possibility that they might have a claim on his crown.
   
2. His daughter Mary I was only slightly less brutal and conspired to marry an enemy king to bring her own country under his heel. Lucky for England, she died before all her evil plans came to fruition.
   
3. Charles I, unwilling to follow through with his deal to become a constitutional monarch with limited power, conspired with another enemy king to reverse the military and negotiated results of a civil war which he started and lost.
   
4. Richard II most probably had two young nephews murdered to prevent them from succeeding him. Their possible future claims to the throne turned out to be the least of his worries.
   
5. Edward I Longshanks brutally and sadistically murdered Welsh royalty to absorb the small principality into his kingdom.

[crz]

Ah, the Plantagenets..were they a good bunch or no?

The whole GD bunch were something else. Which one ordered the murder of Thomas?

[SES1066]

Big week in English / Great Britain history - Monday is 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, Thursday, the 18th, is the 200th anniversary of Waterloo!

[Clemenza]

“From this day forth, all the toilets in the kingdom shall be known as...Johns!

[Texas Fossil]

Thank you for the link.

[matt1234]

In the movie “Lion in Winter” John is portrayed as slow-witted. But that, of course, is just a movie.

[PJ-Comix]

Even more evil than Henry VIII?

[ZULU]

My vote is for Henry VIII, followed by John.