A certain spouse-beheading King takes centre stage in Portsmouth this year. Picture courtesy Portsmouth Festivities
This year’s Portsmouth Festivities will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to the throne and the commissioning of his favourite warship, the Mary Rose.
Ghost Ship: A Pageant for Portsmouth has been awarded funding by the Arts Council England and will be held on the final day of the Festivities, June 28, which was also Henry VIII's birthday.
A procession inspired by Tudor sailors, shipwrights, flag bearers and musicians will fill the streets with colour as they make their way from the Mary Rose in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard through Old Portsmouth to Southsea Castle.
The celebration will carry on throughout the afternoon with a family and food fair followed by a twilight fire spectacle on Castle Field starring the ghost ship.
James Priory, Chairman of Portsmouth Festivities, said: "The Arts Council's support for this project is tremendous news for Portsmouth. It recognises the creative talent and aspiration of our city and will help to make this year's Festivities the most ambitious yet as we celebrate, across the community, the 500th anniversary of King Henry VIII and the building of the Mary Rose."
The Walk the Plank group, who have worked on the opening of the Commonwealth games and the closing ceremony of Liverpool City of Culture, have been deployed to carry out the event.
In the build up to the big free event, the Festivities will be involving local schools and community groups on workshops for the Ghost Ship spectacle in June.
The full programme of events will be announced in April. For more information visit Portsmouth Festivities
