Today marks 800 years since the Magna Carta was sealed and at Leicester Market a special event has been taking place.
Medieval music was performed by historical re-enactors giving shoppers a taste of what life was like back in 1215, and part of the Great Charter was read out by Baron de Quincy.
The Magna Carta first protected the rights and freedoms of society and established that the king was subject to the law and him from exploiting his power and making it clear that he was not above the law.
It also set out a standardisation of weights and measures. To celebrate this a selection of old Leicester weights, measures and scales are on display in the window of the market’s customer service centre.
Baron Saer de Quincy was a rebel Leicester baron who helped ensure that King John accepted the terms of the Magna Carta.
Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said, “The Magna Carta enshrines many of the things we take for granted today, particularly the rule of law and the principle that nobody can act above the law,”
“This 800th anniversary provides us with an opportunity to remember the importance of these hard-won rights.”
Stuart Bailey, chair of Leicester Civic Society, said: “We are delighted to be involved in a project to celebrate this Magna Carta anniversary and will be highlighting Leicester’s connection to the document. The society is very grateful for the support of the council’s arts and museums service and the award from the Heritage Lottery Fund.”
