London, Aug. 1 : The pride of Tudor King Henry VIII’s navy – the Mary Rose – sank during a battle with the French because its Spanish crew did not understand the commands that were given in English.

For generations, the reason why the Mary Rose sank during a battle with a French invasion force has divided historians.

Now, the new theory that is being circulated and accepted is that the ship was lost because two thirds of its crew were foreigners who failed to understand orders.

Forensic science examinations of the 16th-century crew''s skulls have revealed that the majority were not British but southern European, most probably Spanish.