Mary Rose

The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 19 July 1545. She led the attack on the galleys of a French invasion fleet, but sank in the Solent. The precise cause of her sinking is still unclear because of conflicting testimonies and a lack of conclusive physical evidence.

About Mary Rose in brief

Summary Mary RoseThe Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 19 July 1545. She led the attack on the galleys of a French invasion fleet, but sank in the Solent, the straits north of the Isle of Wight. The precise cause of her sinking is still unclear because of conflicting testimonies and a lack of conclusive physical evidence. An extensive collection of well-preserved artefacts is on display at the Mary Rose Museum, built to display the remains of the ship and its artefacts. The Mary Rose site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 by statutory instrument 197455. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England and is listed on the National Heritage List for England. It is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a World Heritage-listed Ship of the World Register of Historic Wreckes, which is open to the public. The ship was built in 1509 by Peter Pomegranate of Aragon and cost about 500 tons. Just months after his accession, Henry VIII ordered two large ships: the Regent and the Peter Pomerantsev, which cost about 450 and 450 tons respectively. Which ship he ordered is unclear, although it is unclear that the building of the MaryRose was part of an anti-French alliance that included Pope Julius II and Holy Roman emperor Maximilian II of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1509 it was ordered by Henry VIII to join the League of Cambrai, which was aimed at the Republic of Venice but eventually turned against France. It was also one of the earliest examples of a purpose-built sailing warship, and she was armed with new types of heavy guns that could fire through the recently invented gun-ports. In the late 15th century, England was still reeling from its dynastic wars first with France and then among its ruling families back on home soil. The marriage alliance between Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII of France in 1491, and his successor Louis XII in 1499, left England with a weakened strategic position on its southern flank. Despite this, Henry VII managed to maintain a comparatively long period of peace and a small but powerful core of a navy. In 1511, six weeks into his reign, Henry married the Spanish princess Catherine of Argon and joined the League, certifying his claim as king of both England and France, although his intent was unclear. The war ended in 1508. The remains of Mary Rose have been on display in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard since the mid-1980s while undergoing restoration. The finds include weapons, sailing equipment, naval supplies, and a wide array of objects used by the crew. Many of the artefacts are unique to the Mary rose and have provided insights into topics such as naval warfare and musical instruments.