- Re-live the final moments on board the Mary Rose as it sinks during the Battle of the Solent on 19th July 1545
- Step back in time to hear from King Henry VIII and the crew of Britain’s most famous shipwreck
- Immersive Tudor warship sinking experience will open to public today (Monday 26th July) in time for summer holidays
Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench is helping staycationing Brits step back in time to relive the sinking of the Mary Rose in its stunning new 1545 experience.
1545 allows visitors to be fully immersed in the Battle of the Solent and relive the final breath-taking moments onboard King Henry VIII’s favourite ship.
Dame Judi introduced the experience at the Portsmouth Museum, which is home to the Mary Rose and the world’s biggest collection of Tudor artefacts.
Laying undiscovered for hundreds of years, entombed within the seabed, the wreck was finally located by divers in 1971. It took over ten years of excavation before the hull could be raised.
A global TV audience of 60 million watched live in October 1982 as both the remains of the ship and some of her incredibly preserved contents made it to the surface after 437 years.
CEO of the Mary Rose Museum, Dominic Jones, said, “We’re delighted to be able to bring to life the final moments of the Mary Rose with 1545 – as a spectacular interactive experience. It’s an exciting addition for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard over the summer holidays. It will give visitors a way to understand how her story as a warship ended and how ours as a museum began.”
Dame Judi Dench added, “I remember being one of the millions who watched The Mary Rose being raised from the Solent in 1982, and it’s a memory that has stayed with me ever since. Her incredible story both before she sank and now afterwards reveals so much about our history and 1545, as a new immersive experience is a great introduction to those fateful final moments overseen by King Henry VIII.”
1545 opened to the public from 10 am on Monday 26 July 2021, to coincide with the start of the school summer holidays and in the same month 476 years ago that the Mary Rose sank.
It is expected to be a huge draw for families in helping all generations learn about one of the most important historical shipwrecks and collections of Tudor artefacts, shining a light on life 500 years ago.
For more information about the 1545 experience and to book your tickets, visit: www.maryrose.org
