Six Wives of One King

Day 4 Peterborough and Kenilworth

The magnificent 800 year old Cathedral in the centre of Peterborough is where Catherine of Aragon was laid to rest, but even in death Henry VIII was unkind, he ordered her to be buried as the Dowager Princess of Wales. Today, her grave is marked by a memorial suitable for a queen of England. Paid for by a national newspaper in the 1800’sasking all women called Catherine to donate a penny to help pay for it. The people loved her then and still love her today, rarely a day goes by without fresh flowers being placed in memory and respect. We laid a pomegranate and some Rosemary brought from Catherine's Garden at Buckden, it seemed a right and fitting mark of respect.

The Cathedral also used to hold the body of Mary Queen of Scots after she was executed in 1587 before her son James I had her removed to Westminster Abbey in London. (More of her later in the week when we reach London. ) Curiously the same grave digger performed both burials 53 years apart, a man by the name of Old Scarlet.

A long drive west took us to Kenilworth castle in Warwickshire, a place that has seen some of the most important moments in history. Henry V was here in March 1415 when he received a present of tennis balls from the French Prince, an insult that rebounded spectacularly when Henry, in October of that year fought and won the battle of Agincourt. His small army of about 7000 archers took on a French army three times that number and decimated the flower of the French nobility in one afternoon.
It was here in 1575 that Robert Dudley spent millions in today’s money to convince Elizabeth I to marry him. It was on a glorious progress that Elizabeth spent 17 days here feasting and partying but all that money was not well spent by Robert, Elizabeth turned him down.

Robert lies with his second wife Lettice Knowlys in the gothic family chapel of St Mary’s church in the centre of Warwick.