A summary of the lectured presented at the 2009 Oxford gathering on the history of the Mary Rose and the discovery and recovery of the wrecked ship in 1982. Built in 1509-1511, the Mary Rose sank in 1545 with 500 lives lost. The wreckage was discovered in 1836, first excavation was in 1978 and the decision to raise her was made in 1982. The article discusses the efforts, constraints and pressures the divers faced in raising the ship. The survey of the wreck took years and required over 28,000 dives. The reason for the ships sinking is not definitively known and several theories are noted in the article. Today the hull can be seen in Portsmouth.
