The raising of the Mary Rose in Portsmouth is marked on the 40th anniversary with a poignant celebration at the Solent wreck site

It was hard to imagine that exactly 40 years ago on this exact spot all around was commotion, above and below the surface. On that day was trepidation, apprehension, alarm, fear, relief and celebration – all played out in the grip of a storm.

And even harder still to imagine that 477 years ago the sun-dappled shores of Southsea bore witness to a tragedy in which more than 400 lives were lost.

For on that bobbing Solent buoy could just be picked out two small and simple words - Mary and Rose. This revealed that this was the spot from which on October 11, 1982, the remains of Henry VIII’s flagship were released from their watery grave and taken back to Portsmouth dockyard to be transformed as the centrepiece of a world-class heritage attraction.

The special trip out to the wreck site 40 years later was to celebrate the magnitude of the mission which led to the discovery, raising, preservation and exhibition of the Mary Rose. The voyage, on a specially commissioned Gosport Ferry, covered a range of emotions.

SEE ALSO: The Mary Rose: everything you need to know

Solemnity, as 500 white and red roses were cast into the water as a way of thanking the 500-plus Mary Rose Trust team members who made the excavation and recovery possible - along with a nod to absent friends no longer with us.

NOW SEE: 27 pictures of the raising of the Mary Rose

Joyfulness, as the bright faces and voices of Portsmouth Music Hub choir performed a song specially written for the occasion, ‘Diving on the Mary Rose’.

And sheer bizarreness, as 16th Century ‘King Henry VIII’ clad in regal robes and flanked by trusted Tudor archers, sat on deck immersed in the views from a 21st Century virtual reality headset.

Among the special guests was Nick Rule, son of Margaret Rule, the trust’s archaeological director and figurehead at the time of the raising. He said the trip celebrated the many teams of people who made that mission possible.

‘The key message is one of innovation and perseverance,’ he added. ‘Every one of those groups had big problems and every one of them powered their way through to find a solution. This was a triumph for all those who found success in adversity.’

Also on board were trust CEOs past - John Lippiett and Helen Bonser-Wilton - and present, Dominic Jones alongside current chairman Nigel Purse, who said: ‘What was achieved through finding the wreck and bringing her to the surface was astonishing. It shows the sheer scale of human endeavour and human achievement. I think the complexity of that achievement is only now beginning to dawn on people and it is the duty of the trust to make sure that continues.’

Space was also found for people who best represented the indomitable spirit of Portsmouth. Delighted to be among them was Julian Le Good, from Southsea. A long-time volunteer for Age Concern, John stepped up his efforts during the pandemic to deliver and raise money for food parcels and help out at vaccine centres.

‘I watched the raising of the ship on Blue Peter and since than have been absolutely fascinated by her story. I still get a buzz when I visit the museum and look down at her from the top deck,’ he said.

The Portsmouth Music Hub Choir was led by Sue Beckett and featured children from St John’s Cathedral and St Edmund's catholic schools. Candice Azeta, eight, said: ‘ It was amazing fun and I loved that lots of people came to watch us sing.’ Fellow pupil Victor Staniek, eight, said he was nervous but added: ‘It sounded brilliant and I am very proud of myself.’

As they sang ‘Henry’s ship is back home’ it was another powerful moment to look again at that bright yellow buoy, now surrounded by roses caught up in the eddying currents, and think that 40 years ago that journey back home took a most incredible step forward.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​