Most Britons ignorant about Magna Carta

London, Mar 13 (UNI) Magna Carta--the mother of British constitution -- is unknown for most of its people, according to a poll.

Nearly half of the British population does not know about the charter, which was signed by King John of England at Runnymede in 1215 and is the foundation of the British constitution, according to a poll by an internet-based market research firm YouGov.

The survey commissioned by the British Library found 45 per cent of the 2,000 people questioned had no knowledge of the English charter. And only 32 per cent knew that it set written limits on the authority of the monarch.

The representative sample poll was completed to mark the launch of the British Library's Magna Carta website , which goes live tomorrow, the Daily Telegraph reported.

''Many misconceptions about its original purpose and content have been generated since it was granted in 1215. Our new website challenges these misconceptions by exploring Magna Carta's meaning, content and legacy, '' Claire Breay, head of Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts said.

UNI XC ARB RAI2001