The outbreak of war

• John sealed Magna Carta because he wanted to avoid war and hoped to attract more supporters to his side but did not want to implement the agreement
• Shortly after he sealed the document, John contacted the pope, where, in August, Innocent III declared that the charter was illegal as John was forced to agree to it
• Innocent announced he would excommunicate anyone who tried to make John follow its terms
• John renounced the charter and frustrated the barons, who invited Prince Louis of France to be king of England in September
• Louis had significant claim to the throne as his wife was a granddaughter of John’s father and had personal reasons for opposing John