The Mary Rose: the fatal final moments
In episode three in our new series on the Mary Rose, we pick up the story of the battle of the Solent, joining Henry VIII’s forces as they face off against an enormous French invasion fleet

As Henry VIII stood along the walls of Southsea Castle on 19 July 1545, the air was hot and still. Yet, England was on the brink of disaster, as an enormous French fleet had arrived with revenge on their minds. In this episode, we’re zeroing in on the pivotal moment when the Mary Rose met its ignominious end at the battle of the Solent. Emily Briffett speaks to Hannah Matthews, Dr Dominic Fontana and Dr Tracy Borman to find out what caused the Tudor warship to sink on what should have been a short, easy voyage.
Authors

Emily is HistoryExtra’s Content Producer (Podcasts). Before joining the BBC History team in 2021, Emily graduated with an MA in Public History from Royal Holloway, University of London