Archaeologists yesterday raised the anchor and a section of the bow from Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, on the anniversary of the recovery of the hull.

Divers have been examining the site of the sunken Tudor warship in the Solent, off Portsmouth, Hampshire, since September 23 in the hope of bringing further remnants to the surface.

Yesterday morning, the anchor was raised. It weighed two tonnes and was 16ft long by 8.5ft wide, said a spokeswoman for the Mary Rose Trust.

About an hour later, at 11.45am, the stem timber from the bow was raised.

John Lippiett, chief executive of the Mary Rose Trust, said: "This is a wonderful day and it's very exciting. We are seeing things for the first time in 460 years. This is the last piece in the puzzle."

The Mary Rose was built at Portsmouth between 1509 and 1511, and named after Henry VIII's sister, Mary Tudor.

On July 19, 1545, Henry watched as the Mary Rose, by now a heavily-armed, prototype galleon, led the English fleet out of Portsmouth harbour towards advancing French ships.

The ship turned after coming under fire, but a gust of wind pushed her over, allowing water to pour through the low gunports, which had not been closed.

The vessel sank, with the loss of 700 crew.

Attempts to raise the ship failed and after some guns were removed in the 1830s, the site was lost until archaeologists resumed the search in the 1970s.

Yesterday's operation coincided with the anniversary of the raising of the main section of the hull, on October 11, 1982.

The operation is the third consecutive year that divers have investigated the site.

Mr Lippiett added: "It is an exceptionally important dive for the Mary Rose, and the recovery of two vulnerable items from the seabed - the stem timber and the anchor - will mean that we can rebury the remaining timbers to keep them safe.

"Future generations will no doubt return for further excavations, but the site will be well protected.

"The stem is of huge significance and will help historians, archaeologists, and our many visitors, to have a far greater understanding of the Mary Rose as a ship."

The work is being funded by the Ministry of Defence, which is examining the best route for its next generation of aircraft carriers to enter the naval base at Portsmouth Harbour.

The carriers will need a deeper channel and one option being considered would have meant the Mary Rose site having to be totally excavated.

But the Navy's preferred route would take the carriers along an existing channel.