In pictures: Henry VIII at Ely Cathedral for living history re-enactment

It was in 1534 that Henry VIII, having been denied an annulment from his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon by the Pope, formed the Church of England.

It prompted the dissolution of the monasteries, meaning Ely Cathedral ceased being a monastic cathedral in 1539 - a role it had held since 1109.

It had been a major pilgrimage site, but its famous shrine of its founding 7th-century Anglo-Saxon saint: Etheldreda, was destroyed amid the dissolution.

Earlier this month, Henry VIII was back - along with Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn and their court - in the form of Tudor Legacies, a group of living history re-enactors, brought in by the cathedrals’s learning department.

They met their loyal subjects over several days, and there were presentations by members of the court - including a chance to see the dressing of Henry VIII - from royal Tudor pyjamas to his most sumptuous finery.

Visitors heard of his many wives, there were Tudor games on the East Lawn and visitors even came dressed as royalty on one day, ready to make a crown to complete their outfit.

In the words of one ‘Sir Oscar’, knighted by Henry VIII himself: “It was the best day of my life!”.