At each side of the choir are the two most famous tombs in the Cathedral. The first is of Queen Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, who died in nearby Kimbolton Castle in January 1536. The flag of Aragon flies over her tomb and many Spanish pilgrims make their way to Peterborough to see where the Spanish Queen of England is buried.
The second tomb is no longer occupied. It was the tomb of Queen Mary of Scotland, who was executed at Fotheringhay Castle in 1581, having been found guilty of treason against the English monarch, Elizabeth I by being involved in plots to overthrow the English Monarchy. She was buried in Peterborough, but when in 1612, Mary’s son, James succeeded Elizabeth to the English throne, he had his Mother’s remains brought to London and reburied in Westminster Abbey.
Another interesting monument is that to the Orme family. When Parliamentary soldiers used the Cathedral as a stables during the civil war, they also passed their time by defacing the monuments. Following the restoration of the monarchy, the cathedral authorities sought to restore the damaged monuments. However, the Orme family asked that this monument be left as a reminder of what had happened.
