Its primary aims are to preserve, display and spread knowledge about the 16th century warship Mary Rose which sank in the Solent on 19 July 1545 and was salvaged by the Trust in October 1982.

[2] In the 1960s and 70s the Mary Rose Committee collaborated with museum representatives, diving clubs and archaeologists to campaign for legal protection of shipwrecks as vital to the national historical heritage.

[3] The Committee handled the small-scale diving operations and underwater surveys of the Mary Rose wrecksite until 1979, when it was decided that the remnants of the ship should be fully excavated and salvaged.

Prince Charles acted as its president and Margaret Rule archaeological director in charge of excavating and preparing the wreck of the Mary Rose for salvage.

[4] On 11 October 1982 the Mary Rose was successfully salvaged and towed to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where it was placed in passive storage until active conservation began in 1994.