How did Henry VIII's the Mary Rose sink?

Almost 500 years on, the truth behind the demise of the king's favourite ship remains a mystery

Mary Rose
(Image credit: Dan Kitwood - WPA Pool /Getty Images)

It's exactly 471 years since Henry VIII's favourite ship, the Mary Rose, sank during a battle with the French navy and to mark the occasion, the Mary Rose Museum will reopen in Portsmouth tomorrow.

In her day, the Mary Rose, one of the earliest examples of a purpose-built sailing warship, was one of the largest ships in the English navy, fighting through more than three decades of intermittent war.

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