Prince Charles delighted at Mary Rose progress

Oct 13, 2005, 13:00 GMT

Britain's Prince Charles has spoken of his delight on the day the Mary Rose's anchor was raised from the sea yesterday (12.10.05).

The prince said he fully understood the excitement as the anchor and part of the bow from Henry VIII's flagship Mary Rose - which sank 460 years ago - were raised.

The huge anchor - which weighs two tons and measures 6ft by 8ft 6in - was hoisted from the Solent, off Portsmouth, Hampshire, on the 23rd anniversary of the recovery of its hull.

Charles said: "I am thrilled that the collaboration between the Mary Rose Trust and the Ministry of Defence over the last three years has resulted in this final dive and the lifting of some exceptionally important large artefacts from the wreck site.

"Having watched the raising of the hull exactly 23 years ago and having been closely engaged with the Mary Rose thereafter, I fully understand the excitement today."

Charles - who is president of the Mary Rose Trust - added: "The major timbers from the bow will allow both architects and visitors to understand far better the structure of the Mary Rose, this sole survivor from the Tudor Navy.

"The mighty anchor is a visible sign of our maritime heritage and looks to be in remarkable condition."

Many members of the archaeology team out on the Solent yesterday were involved in raising the hull.

Marine archaeologist Alex Hildred told the BBC: "I don't think anything will be as exciting as bringing up the major hull of the Mary Rose - that was our lives for three years. "But this is just another piece of the jigsaw and it is a very important bit."

The famous warship sank 460 years ago on July 19, 1545, killing more than 500 people.

The main section of the hull was raised in 1982.

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