Pirates & Shipwrecks · Tudor warship, 1545
Mary Rose
The Solent, England
What happened
The Mary Rose was a warship built for King Henry VIII that served for 34 years. In July 1545 it sailed out to meet a French invasion fleet and sank in the Solent, off Portsmouth.
Why it matters
The seabed mud kept the ship and its contents safe for centuries, so it shows us how Tudor sailors lived, worked and fought. Historians still debate exactly why it sank.
What came next
The wreck was located in 1971 and the hull was raised on 11 October 1982. Today it is displayed at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Did you know?
Divers found 172 of the ship's 250 longbows.
Timeline
- 1511The Mary Rose is launched in Portsmouth.
- 19 July 1545It sinks in the Solent.
- 1971The wreck is located.
- 11 October 1982The hull is raised.