As a trustee of the Mary Rose Museum, there is no one better than Professor Suzannah Lipscomb to give us insights into Tudor politics and the fickle nature of alliances, that led to the Battle of the Solent, the action that saw the sinking of the Mary Rose.
Why did Henry VIII feel the need to build 2 new ships immediately after coming to the throne in 1509?
In 1520 Henry and the French king, Francis I made peace at the Field of Cloth of Gold. So, what provoked Francis to invade England in 1545?
We examine the too-and-fro of European alliances, the peace treaties and the power-play that culminated in the sinking of Henry’s favourite ship.