13. There is a reason no British King has taken the name John since the days of the Magna Carta
Richard I, known to posterity as Richard the Lionheart, was King of England when he departed on the Third Crusade late in the twelfth century. His brother attempted to rebel against Richard’s interests, and during the King’s absence ruled as King John, later inheriting the throne on Richard’s death in 1199. John’s record as both an administrator of the government and a leader at war have been assessed and reassessed every other generation or so since, leading his reputation to be both tarnished and redeemed. Most historians agree that he was vindictive, petty, and possessed an often demonstrated inclination towards cruelty. Following a failure to defeat the French in 1214 John returned to England to find the Barons united in rebellion against him, and he signed the Magna Carta imposed upon him in 1215, though he largely ignored the conditions to which his signature signaled agreement. No English monarch has taken the name John ever since his reign ended after his death from dysentery.