So what did Magna Carta do for us? It's 800 years since arguably the world's most important document was signed, but David Starkey says its legacy is being eroded

The Magna Carta is one of those important bits of our island story that most of us – if we’re being honest – don’t know enough about. And, if asked what the words ‘Magna Carta’ actually mean, many of us would be stumped. ‘What I was keen to do was to root the Magna Carta firmly in our time,’ says Dr Starkey. ‘Ultimately, the Magna Carta was not obtained by consent,’ says Dr Starkey. ‘The Magna Carta was a very bold attempt to limit royal power,’ says Dr Starkey.