Runnymede: The Birthplace of Modern Democracy

Runnymede is a National Trust site in Surrey, a few miles outside of Windsor, consisting of a water-meadow next to the Thames. It contains lovely walking trails, a small cafe, and several memorials. It was chosen as the meeting point for King John and his rebellious barons as it was neutral territory and therefore become famous as the place where the Magna Carta was signed on 15 June 1215. This document established fundamental rights and the rule of law.

The Magna Carta became the cornerstone of constitutional governance not just in England, but throughout the English speaking world, including in the United States. The Founding Fathers of the USA used it for the groundwork of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, including the concepts of individual rights, due process, and the rule of law. (Please see my post about the Temple Church where I also discussed the importance of the Magna Carta to the US.) For this reason alone, the site would be interesting to Americans. However, there is a piece of land there that actually belongs to the United States. This is because Queen Elizabeth II dedicated a memorial to honour President John F. Kennedy in 1965, two years after his assassination, and gifted the acre of land that the memorial is on to the US in recognition of the close relationship Britain and America. This was a first in the UK. The memorial is inscribed with elements of JFK's inaugural speech and is reached by climbing 50 steps, which represent the states of the US.

There is also a Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial and some throught-provoking sculptures dealing with the concepts of justice and democracy. It is interesting that a site so steeped in British History should also have such strong links to the US.