Winners of the Mary Rose Trust Time Capsule Competition

When it was raised from the seabed of the Solent in 1982, the wreck of Henry VIII’s Flagship the Mary Rose was already well known as a Tudor time capsule.

In excess of 19,000 artefacts were recovered from the remains – and many of them will be going on display at the new Mary Rose Museum in 2012 in time to mark the 500th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the ill-fated ship.

To mark the occasion the Mary Rose Trust challenged schools and youth organisations to create their own time capsule of eight items to represent everyday life in the UK in 2011...

Winners Announced! Mary Rose Trust Time Capsule Competition

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Haslemere Preparatory School has been announced as the winner in the Mary Rose Museum ‘Time Capsule Competition’. They win £500 for their school and they will also attend the ceremony on the 18th March to mark the laying of the foundation stone for the new museum and the burial of their 8 items in the time capsule.

Entries came from primary and secondary schools across the country as well as Scout groups. The judging panel blindly marked the entries from Surrey, West Sussex, Lancashire, Wales, Herefordshire, London, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, Bedfordshire as well as Hampshire and Portsmouth.

Learning Officer for the Mary Rose Trust, Clare Barnes explained that they chose the winning entry because “the imaginative mix of items chosen by Haslemere Prep School offers a snapshot of current affairs as well as the everyday life of the British people in early 2011, just as the Mary Rose is a snapshot of Tudor life.”

The two runners up were St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Portsmouth and Crookhorn College of Technology, Waterlooville who will both be invited to take part in activities on the day of the ceremony.

The items chosen by Haslemere Prep included:

• A souvenir of the wedding of William and Kate
• An Argos catalogue
• A cheque book
• The Top 20 songs for March 2011
• A model of the Ark Royal and a poppy
• A cricket bail
• A mobile phone
• An energy saving light bulb

Patrick Wenham, Headmaster, commented: “Our Year 6 boys were delighted to hear the news that they had won the competition. They really enjoyed the discussion about what should go inside the capsule and hope to be there in 2061 when it is dug up again!”

The new Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will open in 2012 in time to mark the 500th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Mary Rose, the flagship of King Henry VIII. It is one of the most ambitious and significant heritage projects in recent years.

Many will remember seeing the raising of her hull in 1982, but that’s just a small part of the story – there were also over 19,000 artefacts recovered, forming a unique Tudor time capsule. Now, with the help of Haslemere Prep School, there will also be 8 items to represent everyday life in the UK in 2011.

The winning entry will be buried in the floor of the new museum to be opened in 50 years, ensuring that the legacy of the Mary Rose carries through each generation.

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.