Historical home to the British Navy, Portsmouth is the country’s only island city. From the sinking of the Mary Rose - King Henry VIII’s flagship - in 1545, to the establishment of the Royal Naval Academy in 1729. From the launch of the first armour plated, iron hulled warship to Southsea beaches’ used as a vital embarkation point during the D-Day landings, Portsmouth has defended Britain and advanced her navy for centuries.