Great English dates No 5: 1265

Simon de Montfort's parliament may have been short-lived, but it gave birth to an institution made up of lords and commoners

When John died, the crown passed to the last person it needed, nine-year-old Henry III. His guardian, William Marshal, gathered a council that patched together the state left by John. Magna Carta was restored, as were the assize courts and the revenue. But as Henry grew to be a man, he could not be restrained from seeking to recoup the family possessions in France. This ...