Born in Spain, Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of King Henry VIII and Queen of England from 1509 to 1533. A daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, she was renowned for her education, piety, and political acumen. Her marriage to Henry produced one surviving child, Princess Mary, but the lack of a male heir led to the annulment of their union — a decision that sparked England’s break with the Roman Catholic Church.
After her divorce, Catherine was banished from court and spent her final years at Kimbolton Castle in Cambridgeshire. She died there on 7 January 1536, aged 50, and was buried at Peterborough Cathedral, then known as the Abbey Church of St Peter. Her tomb, marked simply “Queen of England,” has made the cathedral a place of national historical significance.
Every January, the city commemorates her life with the Katharine of Aragon Festival, honouring her enduring dignity and resilience. For visitors, her resting place offers not only a link to Tudor history but also a powerful symbol of Peterborough’s place in the nation’s story.