Few rulers in English history carry a reputation as dark and enduring as King John, also known as John Lackland. He is the monarch remembered less for governance than for treachery, cruelty, disloyalty, and a self-enriching lifestyle that courted relentless failure.
Over time, historians have highlighted King John’s score-settling temper and defiance of the Church, which has obscured whatever constructive qualities his reign may have held. But beneath the lurid tales of murdered nephews, starved prisoners, and defiance of both pope and barons, there lies a deeper story.
How did John’s lineage result in him becoming a byword for villainy? What missteps in his monarchy caused him to be given the
sobriquet “Bad King John”? Click through this gallery to find out.