How did Henry I’s Charter of Liberties influence the Magna Carta?

Henry I’s Charter of Liberties, issued upon his coronation in 1100, served as a foundational precedent for the Magna Carta. Throughout the 12th century, a tradition developed in England where kings would issue written promises at their coronation to uphold the rights and liberties of the church and the nobility.1

During the political crisis of the early 13th century, Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, became a central figure in the baronial opposition against King John. Langton specifically advised the barons to base their demands for a solemn grant of liberties on the coronation charter of Henry I. By anchoring their claims in this historical document, the barons sought to formalize their rights and limit the king's power, transforming the tradition of royal promises into the structured legal framework that eventually became the Magna Carta in 1215.123