King John surrenders the kingdom of England and Ireland to Pope Innocent III, on May 15, 1213 and receives them back as a papal fief; becoming a vassal of the Pope.
The action allowed John to resolved a six year dispute over the appointment of Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury, which had led to an interdict on England and John's own excommunication and gained a powerful ally against a planned French invasion by Philip II. As a condition of the fiefdom, John agreed to pay an annual tribute of 1,000 marks (700 for England and 300 for Ireland).England remained a nominal papal fief for over 150 years. The status was finally rejected in 1365 when the English Parliament declared John's original surrender invalid because it lacked the consent of the bishops and barons.
