Professor John Hudson attended a reception organised to mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, where he met the Queen.
From the University of St Andrews News webpage:
“On display at the reception was a facsimile of a British Library copy of the 1215 charter. Contrary to popular belief, there is no single original manuscript of Magna Carta; rather it was issued in multiple copies, of which four survive.
The original copies of the 1215 charter had been brought together at the British Library earlier this month for comparison. This was the first time since 1215 that they had been in one place together.
Professor Hudson said, ‘Buckingham Palace provided a majestic and peculiarly fitting setting for celebration of a document extracted by rebels from an unwilling and unpopular king, but rapidly transformed into a repeatedly granted royal promise of good government within the realm. The guests came from across the globe, gathering in London to consider the standing of Magna Carta as a present-day symbol of commitment to justice.
“Magna Carta provides the written foundation stone of our unwritten Constitution, its constant interpretation over eight centuries unparalleled anywhere in the world as a process of negotiation between rulers and ruled.’”
For the full article and photograph, visit the University of St Andrews News page here.