King Henry's Pride And Joy
There were very few things in this world that King Henry VIII loved as much as the Mary Rose, the four-masted carrack that served as the jewel of his naval fleet.
It sank under mysterious circumstances off Portsmouth in 1545, and it lay there at the bottom of the sea for over 400 years—until we dragged the entire flagship up from the depths to learn her secrets.
The Only One Left
Researchers in 1982 embarked on a titanic effort to raise the Mary Rose from the depths. Today, it's the only intact Tudor-era warship in the world, and researchers had a lot to learn from Henry VIII's favorite boat.
Henry Needed Ships
When Henry VIII became king, the English Navy was in a pitiful state—the English had just spend decades fighting one another in the Wars of the Roses, so ships weren't a priority.
But by 1509, there was serious danger lurking out beyond English waters.
Hans Holbein the Younger, Wikimedia Commons
France And Spain Were Looming
Henry VIII took the throne at a time when the threat of attack from France and Spain was constantly looming over his head. He took it upon himself to build the finest Navy England had ever seen—and he didn't do a bad job.
Hans Holbein the Younger, Wikimedia Commons
He Built An Entire Fleet
Henry put heavy funding into shipbuilding, and by 1547, he had 53 impressive vessels flying his flag—the precursor to the Royal Navy that still exists today.
But one of those 53 ships was special: The Mary Rose.
Royal Museums Greenwich, Wikimedia Commons
He Started With Her
The Mary Rose was one of the first ships Henry commissioned, constructed at the Portsmouth Dockyard in 1510. By the time she was finished, she was one of the largest ships in Europe—and she'd remain so for over three decades.
It Took An Entire Forest
To amass the enormous timbers needed to build the Mary Rose took over 600 ancient oak trees, or approximately 40 acres of forest. By the time she was finished, she weighed 672 tons.
Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
She Was Enormous
Though her bow was missing when she was found, modern estimates put the Mary Rose between 110 and 148 feet long. She sailed with a crew of 400 to 500, about half sailors and half soldiers.
Mary Rose Trust, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
She Was Heavily Armed
The Mary Rose, one of the first purpose-built warships in history. She carried up to 80 state-of-the-art cannons with specially-built gunports, making her one of the most heavily-armed ships ever built at the time.
She Wasn't The Only One
The Mary Rose was Henry VIII's pride and joy, but around the same time he also commissioned a sister ship, the Peter Pomegranate, though she was only 450 tons.
They Were Named For Saints
The Mary Rose was likely named after the Virgin Mary and the Tudor Rose, while the Peter Pomegranate was likely named after St. Peter and Henry's wife's botanical symbol, the pomegranate.
She Served For Over Three Decades
After she first launched in 1511, the Mary Rose served for 34 years before she mysteriously ended up at the bottom of the Solent.
She Was Thrust Into Action
The Mary Rose starting building her legend almost immediately. In 1512, before the Battle of St. Mathieu, English Admiral Sir Edward Howard chose the new Mary Rose as his flagship, scandalizing his advisors who told him to pick an older ship, the Regent, that was slightly bigger.
But Howard knew what he was doing.
pam fray, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
She Proved Herself
The Regent might have been a little bigger, but the Mary Rose had more firepower. In the battle, the English surprised the French fleet in Berthaume Bay—where the Mary Rose promptly showed off her supremacy by blowing the mast off of a French ship.
From that moment on, the Mary Rose was a legend in the English Navy.
Her Number Came Up
Henry VIII was involved in fighting with France throughout his entire reign, and so in 1545, the Mary Rose prepared for yet another battle against the French. This time, the stage was the Solent, the same waters where she was first launched.
But this battle was different, because it was going to be her last.
Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Truth Remains A Mystery
There's only one known eyewitness account of the sinking of the Mary Rose, and it comes from a Flemish sailor who was aboard that day. The story he told wasn't exactly a befitting end for such a legendary ship...
The Wind Got Them
The Mary Rose didn't sink after a hail of cannonfire—if that seaman is to be believed, a sudden gust of wind caught the crew off guard. The ship surged ahead so fast that seawater flooded the ship through the gunports. She didn't last long after that.
Peter Kersten, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Those Who Sailed Her Doubted The Story
Many were quick to discredit the Flemish sailor's story. The Mary Rose had braved countless storms in her service—far worse than anything over the Solent that day. But there's another piece to the puzzle...
Human Error Seems Likely
The Mary Rose had been sailing for over 30 years, but the Battle of the Solent was Captain Sir George Carew's first naval command, so he could have mishandled the ship, setting it up for disaster when the gust hit.
But could he have screwed up so badly that he sunk the entire ship? There might still be more to the story.
Hans Holbein the Younger, Wikimedia Commons
She'd Been Refitted
Not long before the battle, the Mary Rose had been outfitted with new guns, whose placement may have threatened the balance of the ship.
Yet the Mary Rose had managed to sail from London to the Solent without issue...
Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
It Was A Terrible Tragedy
Whatever the exact cause, we do know that around 500 souls were aboard the Mary Rose that day—and only 30 of them ever made it to shore.
Glenluwin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
It Was Right There
Losing the legendary Mary Rose was a disaster on all fronts, but there was one silver lining. Or at least, it seemed like it: The ship sank in just 40 feet of water.
The Secretary of State immediately ordered a salvage attempt—but it didn't go according to plan.
They Had A Plan
The English had an effective method for raising ships in shallow water: They would fasten ropes to both the wreck and two empty ships, or hulks, at low tide. They pulled the ropes tight, then let mother nature do the heavy lifting at high tide.
But 40 feet is a long way, and the Mary Rose was one big ship.
Christine Matthews, Wikimedia Commons
They Didn't Get Much
Not only was the Mary Rose an enormous ship, but she had settled deep into the soft, mud bottom. They were doomed from the start.
The salvage operation only managed to raise rigging and some guns, not much else. After two more attempts, the wreck was abandoned, and its location soon forgotten.
Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
They Left It There
Some fishermen rediscovered the wreck in the 19th century, but it was beyond the ability of the English government to raise it.
Soon, it's location was forgotten yet again—until one man's obsession brought the Mary Rose back to the world.
One Man's Obsession
Alexander McKee, a military historian and diver, started researching the Mary Rose in the 1960s. It was the start of a treasure hunt that would last for decades.
He Had To Be The First
McKee was determined to find the Mary Rose before any unscrupulous salvagers who might not show her the respect she deserves, and he spent years searching for a sign.
Michael Gaylard, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
He Found A Treasure Map
In 1966, McKee found exactly what he needed: A map, complete with X marks the spot. The map he found had been drawn by John Deane 130 years earlier—and it showed exactly where the Mary Rose lay.
I hope he yelled, "Eureka!"—but his search wasn't over yet.
mattbuck, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
He Still Had To Find It
Ancient treasure maps aren't quite the same as a GPS tracker. For the next several years, McKee and his team made dive after dive in search of the Mary Rose to no avail.
During those years, McKee had to spend all his weekends fundraising just to keep his expedition afloat—but it wouldn't be for nothing.
Peter Kersten, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
They Struck Wood
McKee finally found what he was looking for in 1971. The team's hard work had paid off—but in a way, looking was the easy part. Now the hard work started.
Mary Rose Trust, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
There Was Good News
The bow was lost, but for a 16th-century warship, the Mary Rose looked pretty darn good. The divers began the laborious process of carefully salvaging and recording every artifact they could, which lasted years.
Then came the fun part.
Leslie James Chatfield, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Ship Was Incredibly Delicate
The Mary Rose had spent centuries lodged in thick mud, and just yanking her out would probably rip her apart. After years of planning and debate, they eventually came to a decision—but it was still going to be touch and go.
Mary Rose, CC BY-SA 3.0,Wikimedia Commons
They Had To Be Very Careful
The team slowly jacked the Mary Rose off the seabed, then using a massive floating crane, transferred it into a specially designed, net-like metal cradle.
Then, as a team including Prince Charles himself watched from the surface, they slowly raised the 400-year-old timbers from the seabed.
Mary Rose Trust, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
They Learned From Another Ship
The only other salvage operation that even came close to this one was the salvage of the Vasa in Sweden. The team in charge of the Mary Rose took their cues from the Vasa operation, so they were prepared for the myriad of ways the ship could be damaged once it was above water.
JavierKohen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
They Filled It With Plastic
The waterlogged timbers definitely would have shrunk and disintegrated once they dried out. To combat this, the team injected the wood with polyethylene glycol to prevent the timbers shrinking.
Mary Rose Trust, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
It Was A Treasure Trove
The wreck of the Mary Rose eventually produced over 19,000 historical artifacts, from barrels of food, to gold coins, to 82 nit combs, which sailors used to pick lice out of their hair and clothing.
John Foley, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
They Worked In A Museum
An entire museum was built around the wreck, so that the public could watch the entire preservation and research process as it unfolded. But it wasn't going to be fast.
There's No Way To Rush This
The ship itself sat sealed in a specially-designed hotbox, and it wasn't going anywhere any time soon. The entire preservation process took decades—the ship stayed in the hotbox until 2016.
You Can Visit Her Today
The Mary Rose remains in Portsmouth's Mary Rose Museum, where you can see the wreck of Henry VIII's pride and joy to this day.
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