Turn the clock back to Tudor times at Hidden England attraction Peterborough Cathedral for the 2020 Katharine of Aragon Festival from 23 to 26 January.
Each January the Cathedral commemorates 29 January 1536, when Henry VIII’s first wife was buried at Peterborough Abbey. She still lies there to this day. For 2020, the Festival programme features the first ever performance of a Katharine of Aragon monologue by Lesley Smith, Curator of Tutbury Castle, who will wear an authentic costume commissioned especially for the occasion.
There will also be a talk by Melita Thomas, the co-founder and editor of the Tudor Times website, about Katharine’s daughter Princess Mary and her upbringing, while Spanish artists will present ‘A Homage to Katharine of Aragon from Spain’, with music, drama and dance performances (supported by the Spanish Embassy).
For more ideas of things to do in the region, read Mark Bibby Jackson’s Lincoln Cathedral and Hidden England.
Family fun events also include ‘At Home with the Tudors’ living history days at Peterborough Museum and tours led by ‘Old Scarlett the Tudor gravedigger’ at the Cathedral. In addition, there will be a ‘Family Audience with Queen Katharine’ in the Cathedral Visitor Centre, at which Lesley Smith will meet children and their families, in costume and character as Katharine of Aragon.
A special accommodation deal is available for Festival-goers at Park Inn Peterborough, with details available via the Cathedral website.
Admission: Check website for various event ticket prices. Photo: Katharine of Aragon Festival 2020, credit Matthew Roberts.