GIANT COMMEMORATIVE COIN FLOATED AT SITE WHERE MARY ROSE SANK
The Royal Mint marks 500th anniversary of maritime icon Mary Rose with floating coin at the ship’s resting place in the Solent.
The Royal Mint today revealed the world’s first floating commemoration to mark the 500th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Mary Rose. A three-metre replica of the current Mary Rose £2 coin was positioned on the exact spot in the Solent where the Tudor flagship sank in 1545, after 34 years of active service.
The giant coin, a reproduction of the £2 coin released by the Royal Mint earlier this year, was floated over the site where the ship sank and was subsequently raised in 1982. The floatation was overseen by Alexzandra Hildred, a member of the original diving and excavation team at the Mary Rose Trust, with the assistance of the Royal Navy Fleet Diving Squadron.
The Mary Rose £2 coin will find its way into our change this year. In addition, 1,511 commemorative precious metal versions of the coin have been struck in 22 carat gold, reflecting the year of the Mary Rose’s maiden voyage. The coins have also been struck in sterling silver and pristine, uncirculated versions are available to buy in limited numbers. To mark the event, a silver Mary Rose coin was donated by the Royal Mint to the Mary Rose Museum.
Shane Bissett, the Royal Mint’s Director of Commemorative Coin commented “We produced the Mary Rose coin as a tribute to the world’s only surviving Tudor warship – and hope it serves as a reminder of Britain’s rich heritage as a maritime nation. In our 1,000-year history, we have never ‘floated’ a coin before, but there seemed no better way to celebrate the 500th anniversary of such an iconic vessel. Collaborating with the Mary Rose Trust and the Royal Navy Fleet Diving Squadron to execute the idea at sea was an honour, as we remember our naval past and look to its future.”
John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust said "We are delighted to continue our relationship with the Royal Mint following production of the Mary Rose £2 coin. We have much work to do to secure the future of the ship and we are grateful to everyone who supports our fundraising drive to help us build the new Mary Rose Museum here in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Building work is underway and we plan to open it before the end of 2012. Our hope is that people will send a Mary Rose £2 coin back to us here in Portsmouth to help us achieve our target.”
Lieutenant Commander Richard Watson, Chief of Staff at the Royal Navy Fleet Diving Squadron added “Not only does the Mary Rose play an important part in Britain’s military history, but the story of this Tudor warship appeals to naval personnel and civilians alike. We were able to combine some of our training with this task and are proud to help the Royal Mint commemorate the Mary Rose and hope that the new £2 coin helps keep her memory alive.”
Visit www.royalmint.com for more information on the Mary Rose coin and www.maryrose.org for further information about the Mary Rose project.
2 August 2011
Flythrough of the Mary Rose Museum in 2012
As Prince Harry marked the next milestone in the history of the Mary Rose by laying the foundation stone for the new museum on Friday (18th March, 2011), the Mary Rose Trust was also revealing a preview flythrough of how the inside of the building at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will look when it opens to public in Autumn 2012.
This clip is a shortened version of a flythrough being sponsored by construction group Warings and produced by ID Group with input from internal architects Pringle Brandon and exhibition designers Land Design Studio. It should whet the appetite for the full length version that will be available in the coming weeks. The video gives insights into how the Mary Rose will be displayed and how the personal stories of the crew will be highlighted as the collection is reunited with the ship for the first time since her raising in 1982.
The flythrough also shows the view of the hull through windows into the conservation ‘hot box’. Inside this space, the tubes supplying the air to dry the ship will be seen until 2016 when at last the 30 year conservation programme will be complete and the hull will be fully revealed once more.
The Mary Rose Trust is also highlighting the behind the scenes process of putting the displays together through a series of video blogs. In the first update Nick Butterley, Exhibitions Coordinator describes how the first area, on the ground floor, will be one of six galleries showing items by type and themes. The Context Gallery, on all three levels, will then position exhibits opposite the areas of the ship where they would originally have been found.
Head of Interpretation at the Mary Rose Trust, Christopher Dobbs also reveals a mock-up display cabinet for the carpenter, complete with personal possessions.
2012 will mark thirty years since the entire nation was glued to televisions watching the wreck of the Tudor warship break the surface of the Solent, and will be when the Mary Rose Trust will open a new museum, bringing the hull and many of the 19,000 artefacts that were raised with her together once again.
The building has been designed by Wilkinson Eyre, a prolific firm but probably best known for the Millennium Bridge crossing the Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle. For the Mary Rose, they have designed an elliptical ‘jewel box’, placing the hull at the centre with galleries running the length of the ship, each at a level corresponding to a deck levels on the ship. Artefacts will be set out in these galleries, designed by the architect and maritime archaeologist Chris Brandon, so that the visitor can see what the decks would have looked like moments before the ship sank.
Warings, a member of the international construction and services group Bouygues, is delivering the construction phase of the £35 million project for the Mary Rose Trust.
Philippe Jouy, Warings Managing Director, commented “The museum will represent the very best in 21st century architecture and construction, providing a beautiful and secure environment for the finest collection of 16th century artefacts in the world.”
The existing Mary Rose Museum remains open during construction and continues to offer an amazing visitor experience with more than 1,000 of the finest conserved artefacts recovered from the site.
To help secure the future of The Mary Rose visit www.maryrose500.org
22 March 2011
The Mary Rose to sail into space with the final Endeavour Mission – Friday 29th April, 2011
Endeavour is targeted to launch on its final flight at Monday, May 16 at 8:56 a.m EDT (3:56 a.m. BST), for STS-134’s 14-day mission to the International Space Station and it will be carrying some very special cargo…
At a gala dinner for Portsmouth Festivities last June, The Mary Rose Trust in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard presented the crew of the Atlantis Space Shuttle with an artefact of the Mary Rose, the flagship of King Henry VIII, with a view to sending it up to space on a future mission.
Now this 3-inch wooden ball from the 16th century warship will be on-board Endeavour, so it can sail in the vast ocean of space. The ball, called a "parrel," was part of the mechanism used to raise sails up the masts.
The Mary Rose was as revolutionary in technological advances 500 years ago as the Space Shuttle was in the early 1980s. Both have helped pioneer exploration and advance the sciences. It is most appropriate to mark their place in history in this manner.”
The Mary Rose has one more connection to NASA: astronaut Michael Foale worked as a volunteer diver on the ship's excavation in 1981. The astronaut would later fly the space shuttle, to the Russian space station Mir and to the International Space Station.
The objects continue a tradition of taking items into space that began with NASA's first astronauts. During the 50 years of astronauts launching into space, commemorative objects have flown to the moon's surface and made repeated orbits of Earth, returning later to inspire those who could not make the trip themselves and remind astronauts of their accomplishments.
The Mary Rose sank in 1545 in the Battle of the Solent. She was raised in 1982 with her artefact collection of 19,000 objects presenting a unique time capsule and one of the world’s most precious heritage icons.
The Mary Rose 500 Appeal are currently fundraising to secure the building of the new Mary Rose Museum to open in Autumn 2012, which will reunite the hull with her artefacts and ensure completion of the conservation in 2016 providing visitors with new and unique views of the vessel - visit www.maryrose500.org
Further information on the shuttle mission including streaming video.
Prince Harry marks the next milestone in the history of the Mary Rose
Prince Harry has today (Friday 18th March, 2011) visited the Mary Rose Trust, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to mark the next milestone in the history of the Mary Rose.
The Prince was given a tour of the current museum and its collection before taking part in the foundation stone ceremony for the new Mary Rose museum.
In the foreword to the commemorative programme Prince Harry says: “I am delighted to be able to mark another milestone today in the extraordinary history of the Mary Rose. This Foundation Stone in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard moves us a step closer to turning the vision and hard work of so many over the past 30 years – some might say 500 years – into reality. This will be a special place of celebration and learning for future generations, and one of commemoration for the English sailors and soldiers who lost their lives in the disaster on 19th July, 1545.
I would like to acknowledge the longstanding support for this project of my father, The Prince of Wales. I am so pleased to be building – quite literally – on his good work of so many years.
I wish every success to the volunteers and world leading experts, who are working towards the completion of the new Mary Rose Museum.”
During his tour of the museum the Prince met with current staff and volunteers, including four divers from the 1982 excavation who are still working for the trust. He handled some of the artefacts recovered from the wreck before meeting with students from the Mary Rose School and then moving into the classroom to meet pupils from St John’s Catholic Primary School. He was then put through his paces by Crookhorn College of Technology when he helped them take part in a Tudor gun drill.
Prince Harry then arrived in Victory arena where he met with other staff and supporters and those involved with the construction of the new museum. During the official ceremony, John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust presented the Prince with one of the Mary Rose £2 commemorative gold coins produced by the Royal Mint.
The Prince then proceeded to the construction site to lay the foundation stone of the new museum, marking the next major milestone in the history of the Mary Rose.
John Lippiett commented: “The Mary Rose Trust is thrilled that Prince Harry laid the Foundation Stone of our new museum. This ceremony marks a very important milestone in the long project to conserve and exhibit this iconic ship and her unique collection of artefacts. It is notable that we are doing this on the 500th anniversary of her launch and in a location which is just a few dozen yards from where she was built”.
The ceremony also saw pupils from Haslemere Preparatory School hand over their 2011 time capsule of eight items to be buried in the floor of the new museum.
The Mary Rose is based in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Launched in 1511 she was one of the first ships able to fire a broadside and was a firm favourite of King Henry VIII.
After a long and successful career, she sank accidentally during an engagement with the French invasion fleet in 1545. Her rediscovery and raising were seminal events in the history of nautical archaeology and her conservation will ensure that the Mary Rose remains the finest time capsule in the world of every-day Tudor life 500 years ago.
2011 marks the 500th anniversary of the launch of the Mary Rose and also the laying of the foundation stone for the brand new Mary Rose museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, due to open in the Autumn of 2012. The Mary Rose Trust has received a £21 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to complete the £35 million project for the conservation of the hull and to build a permanent museum, which will also house over 60% of the treasured collection. The museum will represent the very best in 21st century architecture and construction, providing a beautiful and secure environment for the finest collection of 16th century artefacts in the world.
18 March 2001
MARITIME GREAT, MARY ROSE, IMMORTALISED ON UK £2 COIN
Famous Tudor warship features on special £2 coin entering circulation this year
The Royal Mint is commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Mary Rose’s launch in Portsmouth in 1511 by issuing a £2 coin depicting the famous English warship, part of King Henry VIII’s Tudor battle fleet. This limited edition £2 coin will enter circulation this year, finding its way into the nation’s change up and down the country.
Not only is the £2 coin entering circulation but special commemorative versions have also been struck in the precious metals Gold and Silver. Created in strictly limited numbers, these coins are finished to a higher quality than a circulating coin, showing the design in perfect clarity. They are available to purchase today at www.royalmint.com
The coin was shown at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, home of the salvaged wreck, alongside Tudor coins raised from the sunken ship. It is released in the same year the Mary Rose Trust starts to lay the foundations on a new Mary Rose museum to once again bring together the ship’s remains with the 19,000 Tudor artefacts recovered with her in 1982. The Mary Rose, the Tudor Navy’s flagship was launched during King Henry VIII’s reign but sank when she listed too steeply and the gunports flooded during the Battle of the Solent in July 1545.
The coin depicts the ship in a design created by artist John Bergdahl, showing the grand Tudor warship in profile, in a similar scene to the only contemporary image that exists of the ship. The numerous flags and banners are recreated, flowing from tall masts with her armament of guns visible.John Bergdahl explains the inspiration behind his design: “After a trip to the museum currently home to the Mary Rose, I was immediately inspired by the only acknowledged painting of this iconic vessel – an image that I used as the basis for my design.”
Commenting on the design Dr. Kevin Clancy, Head of Historical Services at the Royal Mint, said: “The Royal Mint is very pleased to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Mary Rose’s maiden voyage in 1511 on a special commemorative £2 coin. We were especially impressed with the way the designer captured the stature and presence of this great Tudor ship on the coin.”
18 Feb 2011
Commemorative edition £2 coins
The gold and silver commemorative £2 coins have all been struck to Proof quality and the Mary Rose stands out in frosted relief against the polished table of the coin. The outer ring includes the surrounding inscription bearing the ship’s famous name in Tudor script while the words YOUR NOBLEST SHIPPE 1511, written by Sir Edward Howard, Lord Admiral onboard the Mary Rose, to the King, 22 March 1513, provide an appropriate edge inscription. You can now order the coins from our online shop.
13 Jan 2011
Emmy Award-Winning Costumes from ‘The Tudors’ to go on display for Mary Rose 500 Appeal
The Tudors – Courtly Couture Collection
Saturday 29th January – until Thursday 31st March 2011
at the Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
As the multiple Emmy Award-winning series “THE TUDORS” starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers returns for its climactic final season on Saturday 22nd January (BBC2 21.45), the Mary Rose 500 Appeal are thrilled to be showcasing some of the costumes for the very first time in the UK, including Henry VIII’s orange and bronze war costume from the final series that has been used on the promotional posters.
The costumes will go on display in the AV Theatre of the Mary Rose Museum from Saturday 29th January until Thursday 31st March. Entry can be gained with a ticket to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard or free via the museum shop where it is hoped that the public will generously donate to the Mary Rose 500 Appeal to help build the new museum to open in 2012, where more of these stunning exhibitions will be possible.
The eight costumes on show will be those that were worn by Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII, Joss Stone as Anne of Cleves, Joely Richardson as Catherine Parr, Maria Doyle Kennedy as Catherine of Aragon, Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn, Annabelle Wallis as Jane Seymour and Tamzin Merchant as Catherine Howard.
They were on display last year at the Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design exhibition in the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum & Galleries, Los Angeles; but this will be the first time they will be displayed in the UK.
Joan Bergin is the Costume Designer and winner of the 2010 Emmy for “Outstanding Costume For A Series”, along with Wardrobe Supervisor Susan Cave. Bergin also won Emmys for the series in 2007 and 2008 and received Irish Film & Television Academy awards in 2008 and 2009 as well. Her museum-quality costumes were featured in a Macy's display in New York City on St. Patrick's Day. Bergin has contributed to movies including "My Left Foot," "In the Name of the Father" and "The Prestige." She is currently working on the Starz Network production of "Camelot," starring Eva Green and Joseph Fiennes.
Across the series they made about 500 costumes and rented and modified countless others. The degree of skill can be seen in every detail of the costumes from cloth to braid to button.
In an interview with the LA Times, Bergin described "The Tudors" as a strange blend of trying to be as authentic as possible but with a twist. She wanted people to look at it and say, "Look how sexy and foxy," rather than, "Oh! Who would wear that?". Balenciaga corsets and the Degas ballerinas were her inspiration.
The loan of the costumes has been through the generous support of Joan Bergin and the creator and writer of “The Tudors”, Michael Hirst who will also be visiting the Mary Rose Museum for an event on the 24th March 7-9pm – talking about the series with the final episode airing on Saturday 26th March. Tickets will be priced at £10 with proceeds going to the Mary Rose 500 Appeal.
Michael Hirst commented that:
“I am delighted to offer my support to the new Mary Rose Museum appeal and would encourage everyone with an interest in British history to support it too, and perhaps contribute something towards the £35 million which it will cost to transform the Museum into a wonderful contemporary space through which to explore our extraordinary past.
The discovery of Henry V111’s flagship and its retrieval from the sea bed, with thousands of contemporary artefacts, is reason enough to reinvent and reinvigorate a Museum which already houses many iconic objects from our glorious naval history.
So I wish the Trust well in all its endeavours to do justice to what was once lost and in darkness, but is now found and in public sight once more.”
The exhibition will be open from 11am-3pm on most days, but is advisable to check before visiting at www.maryrose500.org, the MaryRose500 Facebook or Twitter feed, or by calling Fiona Harvey, Appeals fundraiser 023 92 750 521 ext 228.
19 Jan 2011
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