The skeleton of Mary Rose is testament to her endurance.

Nearly 500 years after her death in July 1545, her body remains remarkably intact in an England museum. That's thanks to the divers who discovered her and the archaeologists who've dedicated countless hours tending to her curves.

Mother Nature has played a part too, preserving her on the bed of the Solent, the strait that separates Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

The Mary Rose was a mistress of King Henry VIII. One of his first acts as king was to order she be built as his flagship. She was launched in 1511 and named after the Virgin Mary and Henry's favourite sister.

During Mary Rose's 34-year career she had stints being laid-up on the River Thames, but she was ultimately a warship and repeatedly called back into service.

The grand lady came to grief in a matter of minutes, and opinions differ among historians as to how this was so.

Henry watched from the shore as she sailed out to take on the invading French fleet. But after firing a broadside from her many cannons, she heeled over and sank, taking 500 men and boys with her.

A survivor of the disaster shares his beliefs at the new Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (also home to The Royal Navy).

A display quotes his theory: " ... caused by their not having closed the lowest row of gunports on one side of the ship. Having fired the guns on that side, the ship was turning ... when the wind caught her sails so strongly as to heel her over and plunge her open gun ports beneath the water."

The revamped museum, opened in May, is where Mary Rose now rests.

Here, she is being carefully conserved, with air vents drying out her wooden ribcage to prevent further decay.

The ship was re-discovered in the 1800s and again in the late 1960s, but it wasn't until 1982 that she was raised from the Solent.

Only half of her skeleton survived the corrosive power of salt water and that was because Mary Rose was sleeping on her starboard side. That half of the vessel had been encased in mud, protecting her against the sea and its inhabitants. The port side, however, gradually eroded.

The excavation was a mammoth task involving more than 500 volunteer divers who helped remove the sediment and prepare for her to be raised.

Seeing her now in the museum is impressive. Visitors can view her wooden decks through glass windows in a wall.

In about four years' time, when the hull has been thoroughly dried, museum management plans to remove the barrier so visitors can greet her more intimately.

Currently, you walk a corridor that provides views of Mary Rose on your right and of her belongings on your left.

The relics are fascinating: brass canons, shots, wrought-iron guns, wooden jugs and chests, leather shoes, gold coins, knives, plates, medicine containers, tools. On some of the objects you can see the letter H for Henry.

It's a well-curated exhibition and a worthy tribute to a lady that played such a grand and tragic role in England's history. As one of the first warships to be built in Portsmouth, she's been given a fitting graveyard for a new generation of admirers.

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE: Portsmouth is on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire. By train, it is 90 minutes from London and about 45-60 minutes (depending on stops) from Southampton. Consider visiting Portsmouth as a day trip from Southampton. Train tickets from Southampton Central to Portsmouth Harbour station cost from STG9.60 ($A16) one way and STG10.50 ($A18) return.

STAYING THERE: If you stay in Southampton, The Pig - in the wall is a gorgeous boutique hotel. It's located near the harbour on the Western Esplanade and has rooms starting at STG125 ($A216) per night. For more details, go to thepighotel.com.

PLAYING THERE: You can buy a single entry ticket for the Mary Rose Museum, STG17 ($A29) for adults, STG16.00 ($A28) for seniors and STG12.50 ($A22) for children (note: visits fall into time slots, which can be selected when buying tickets online or allocated on arrival). There is a cafe and shop at the museum, see maryrose.org.

Other attractions at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard include the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Lord Nelson's HMS Victory and Queen Victoria's HMS Warrior 1860. To visit all attractions, tickets cost STG26 ($A45) for adults, STG24.25 ($A42) for seniors and STG19.75 ($A34) for children.

For more on Portsmouth, check out portsmouthfestivities.co.uk and visitbritain.com.

• The writer travelled as a guest of VisitBritain and Princess Cruises