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Magna Carta of 1225

1225

An original 1225 reissue of Magna Carta in King Henry III's name, now held by the British Library.

This 1225 reissue, in Henry III's name, shows how Magna Carta was renewed and became established law.

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Photograph of the 1225 Magna Carta parchment manuscript: dense handwritten Latin text in brown ink across a pale vellum sheet, with a heading at top and a green silk cord hanging from the bottom edge to a dark green-brown wax seal.
Magna Carta, 1225 reissue. British Library, Additional MS 46144.

About this source

What it is

This is an original manuscript of the 1225 reissue of Magna Carta, written by a royal scribe in the name of King Henry III. It is held by the British Library as Additional MS 46144, and the image shown is a photograph of the actual parchment.

Why it matters

The 1215 charter agreed with King John did not last long, but it was reissued several times, including in 1225, becoming the version that was entered into statute law. The document carries dense handwritten Latin text and a wax seal, physical evidence of how medieval kings authenticated official charters. It shows Magna Carta was not a single fixed text but an evolving agreement renewed across reigns.

Look closer

  • What does the seal hanging from the parchment tell you about how documents were made official in the 13th century?
  • Why might a king reissue a charter his predecessor had agreed to, rather than writing a brand-new one?
  • What can you learn just from the physical appearance of the parchment, ink and seal, without reading the Latin?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Magna Carta on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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