Annual Peterborough festival that remembers Katharine of Aragon

​From January 25-28, the festival to mark the date in 1536 when Henry VIII’s first wife was buried at what is now the Cathedral sees the two venues offer an exciting line-up of events.

There are Tudor-themed tours and activities, talks by world-renowned historians Dr Owen Emmerson and Dr Onyeka Nubia – and even the chance to meet the main characters from the King’s court !

Here is the full line-up:

JANUARY 25

Tudor Tour - 11.30amA costumed tour with a Tudor focus including the tombs of Katharine or Aragon and Mary Queen of Scots, the gravedigger who inspired Shakespeare, the Tudor New Building and much moreTickets £8.

History Talk: Katharine and Anne – Online talk by Dr Owen Emmerson - 7.30pmHistory has delighted in the famed rivalry between Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, but these Queens shared more in common than tradition has allowed. This talk will bring new perspectives to the precarious relationship between the first two Queens Consort of King Henry VIII. It will explore the complex connections between these two remarkable women, delving into their well-documented differences but also their unexpected similarities.

Dr Owen Emmerson is a social and cultural historian and author of four books. He worked as the Castle Historian and Assistant Curator of Hever Castle for six years. He has appeared in seventeen documentaries about the Tudor era including ‘The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family’ (BBC, 2021) and ‘Blood, Sex and Royalty: Anne Boleyn’ (Netflix, 2022). He is currently writing a full history of Hever Castle, and a cultural history of the ten Tudor Queens.Tickets £8.

JANUARY 26

8.30am - Roman Catholic MassConducted by the clergy of St Peter and All Souls Church, Peterborough.11.00am - Commemoration Service and wreath layingThe Very Revd Chris Dalliston, Dean of Peterborough, will lead a short service of commemoration with readings and prayers. During the service wreaths will be laid on Katharine’s tomb by school pupils and visiting dignitaries. All welcome. No booking required.

12.00pm - Tudor TourAs above.

2pm - Katharine of Aragon Embroidery Workshop for BeginnersKatharine of Aragon was a skilled embroider who was known for her blackwork and popularised this form of embroidery. This workshop will give participants the opportunity to learn how blackwork was applied to garments using simple running stiches to create complex motifs and borders. Using these stitches and following a printed chart you will be able to produce a piece of work inspired from designs 600 years ago.Tickets £25.

5.30pm - VespersThe daily evening service at the Cathedral, this time in the form of Vespers, a form familiar in Tudor times, sung by the Cathedral Choir. All welcome.

7pm - Son et LumiereAn atmospheric and beautiful evening; experience the Cathedral at night as stories will be spun and tales told. Each story will explore a period in the Cathedral’s history, accompanied by music of that period. The experience will end with mulled wine in the Tudor New Building and visitors are warmly invited to join with the service of Compline afterwards.Tickets £25.9pm - ComplineA service at the close of the day, sung by adult members of the Cathedral Choir. Like Vespers, Compline would have been part of the daily Divine Office observed by the monks of Peterborough Abbey. All welcome.

JANUARY 27

At Court with the Tudors 10am-3pmA drop in event for families celebrating all things Tudor. The Regal Rose Historical Portrayal – Katharine, Henry and the whole Court – will arrive at 11am for visitors to pay homage, ask questions and take selfies. Impromptu dancing and game playing will be in store as well as a Tudor Cartogram and craft makes for children and adults alike.The day will also feature the following pre-bookable activities:

Monks, Mischief and Marauders Family Tours 10.30am, 11.45am, 1.30pm, 2.30pmOur grumpy and fearsome gravedigger Robert ‘Old’ Scarlett will give you his unique take on the Cathedral’s history. Complete with keys, spade and skull, Scarlett will try not to scare you with his ‘grim visage’ and 'mighty voice’ as he takes you round the building. Just keep up – he hates dawdlers!Children receive his personal guide and activity book to complete after the tour!Price £6.

10.30-11.30am - Katharine of Aragon Papercraft Workshop for FamiliesCreate a fun 3D papercraft sculpture of Katharine of Aragon with contemporary papercraft illustrator Shobhna Patel will. A fast-paced and creative workshop for children and parents to enjoy together.Tickets: £8.

12.00pm - Katharine of Aragon Papercraft Workshop for AdultsDuration 2-3 hrsCreate your own ornate paper portrait of Katharine of Aragon with contemporary papercraft illustrator Shobhna Patel.Tickets: £27.

EVENTS AT PETERBOROUGH MUSEUM

JANUARY 26 and 28

Tudor Peterborough Tour - Friday 12:45pm & 2:30pm & Sunday 12.15pmExplore Peterborough’s historic city centre with a costumed guide and find out what the city was like during the time of Katharine of Aragon. The tour then enters Peterborough Cathedral where you will hear about the funeral of Queen Katharine.

JANUARY 27 and 28

At Home with the Tudors (Drop in) - 10-4pmA drop in event for families to travel back in time to the 1500s and find out more about life for ordinary people in Tudor times. With a chance to meet costumed characters, such as the barber surgeon or Tudor cook (with real Tudor recipes). Discover crime and punishment, try on some Tudor armour, and more.Plus there will be Tudor family craft activities and a trail.

JANUARY 2711am - Priestgate Vaults Tour. Venture down into the Museum’s cellars to see the only surviving remains of the Tudor house which once stood in its place. From the grand home of a wealthy Tudor family, to the city’s first infirmary, explore layers of history rarely seen by the public. Brought to life through projections and characters from this buildings history, the tour will take you through 500 years of stories.Tickets: £5 adults, £3 children.

7.30pm - The Cultural and Social impact of Katharine of Aragon’s reign on the Tudor dynasty, a Talk by Dr Onyeka Nubia (University of Nottingham).Katharine is often only thought of as a victim of ‘the marriage question.’ But Katharine ruled England as queen from 1509 to 1533. When she arrived in Plymouth on 2 October 1501, she was not just the ‘Spanish Princess’: daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain — but also a direct descendant of Edward III. This talk will explore why her Iberian/English heritage and culture transformed England forever. A book signing will follow this talk.Tickets £8p.

JANUARY 28

Tudor Times Detective Family Tours - 10.30am, 11.45am & 1.30pmTurn time detective on a fun family tour to discover parts of Peterborough’s Tudor past. Join your guide, Goodwife Jane, and follow your nose to uncover some foul facts about terribly Tudor bad habits. Plus dress to impress and step inside Tudor Peterborough’s trendiest townhouse……if you can find it!Tickets £5•Monday 29th January marks the 488th anniversary of Katharine of Aragon's burial at Peterborough Cathedral. Though no events are scheduled for this day, it remains a day of reflection and commemoration.