Portsmouth Mary Rose museum secures final £35,000

The museum's opening in late spring will mark 31 years since the hull was raised

The final £35,000 needed to complete a new museum for Henry VIII's flagship the Mary Rose has been raised.

More than 150 donors came forward after the Mary Rose Trust made a plea to meet the £35m target last month.

The ship's 16th Century hull and artefacts are to be displayed at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard museum. The bulk of the funding came from a £21m lottery grant.

Its opening in late spring will mark 31 years since the hull was raised.

French invasion fleet

Alan Lovell, chairman of the Mary Rose Appeal Committee said: "Our success is due to the extraordinary generosity of many, many individuals and organisations and we thank them all.

"The ongoing story of the Mary Rose, her sinking and eventual rescue after 500 years has clearly captured the hearts of the British people."

The Mary Rose Trust received a £21m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to complete the conservation of the hull and build the permanent museum.

The Mary Rose was raised from the seabed in 1982

The rest of the money was raised through various charitable trusts, fundraising and sponsors.

Work began on the museum in 2010. The trust hoped it would open for the 30th anniversary of the hull being raised from the Solent seabed last year, but that date was revised.

The Mary Rose saw 34 years of service before she sank while leading an attack on a French invasion fleet in 1545, and was raised 437 years later on 11 October 1982.