The eyes of the world turned on Runnymede Meadow as HM The Queen led the nation’s 800th anniversary celebration of Magna Carta

15th June 2015 | Royal Visits to Surrey

The eyes of the world turned on Runnymede Meadow as HM The Queen led the nation’s 800th anniversary celebration of Magna Carta – the Great Charter.

Watched by 4,000 guests, Her Majesty unveiled a plaque marking this historic event. Accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke of Edinburgh and The Princess Royal, Her Majesty was greeted by the (then) Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, Dame Sarah Goad, who had earlier welcomed HRH The Duke of Cambridge to this celebration of music, drama and art hosted by Surrey County Council and The National Trust. More than 1,000 guests from the US watched the rededication of the Magna Carta Memorial. And finally at 12.15pm the Red Arrows roared over Runnymede Meadow trailing a red, white and blue fly past – on this day in 1215, the barons confronted King John and took the first huge step on the pathway to building a society where everyone has equal rights and no one is above the law.