The cathedral recently held a Tudor banquet as part of a festival celebrating Henry VIII’s first wife
Henry VIII is one of the most famous kings that England has seen, due to his many marriages. The Tudor king married six times, and with this came a well-known poem of “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived”, to help people remember what happened to his wives.
His first wife Katherine of Aragon was buried at Peterborough Cathedral. Born in 1485 in Spain, Katherine was born to King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella. She was sent to England in 1501 to marry Prince Arthur, however he died after only five months of them being married.
In 1509, she then married Henry VIII, and thus began the king’s long line of marriages. Whilst married to Henry, she gave birth to six children.
Sadly, five died and the only surviving child was Mary I, later known as Mary Tudor. With the hopes of a son and heir, Henry and Katherine’s marriage deteriorated and he sought to marry Anne Boleyn.
Henry hoped to divorce Katherine, however after refusal from the Pope, Henry then declared himself head of the Church of England. By doing this, he could grant his divorce.
After their divorce, Katherine was sent into exile to live at Kimbolton Castle, also in Cambridgeshire. This is where she spent her final days.
Katherine died in 1536. Her funeral was held at Peterborough Abbey and she was buried there. Unfortunately, her tomb was damaged by Cromwell’s troops. Today, Katherine is commemorated in the cathedral with a memorial to her.
To remember the former Queen, the cathedral has been holding a Katherine of Aragon festival. The festival launched on Saturday (January 24) and is running until February 1.
Across the festival, the cathedral is hosting several tours and talks about Katherine and the Tudors. On Saturday, the event kicked off with a Tudor banquet.
On the night, there was a traditional Tudor meal served, as well as history, music and merriment. Those who attended also dressed up in Tudor wear.
A cathedral spokesperson described it as a “splendid” night. They added: “Saturday evening’s Tudor Banquet was truly fit for a Queen, with food, music and revelry enjoyed throughout the night. The standard of costume was exceptional and worthy of any royal court.”