Tudor Rose

1. The Tudor Rose

The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty. It represented the fusion of the Lancastrian and Yorkist noble factions. This fusion was symbolised by the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster. The important emblem of the Tudor dynasty marked the end of the devastating English civil war called the Wars of the Roses.

2. The Creation of the Tudor Rose

England had entered a long period of Civil war called the War of the Roses between the two most powerful noble factions of England, i.e. the House of York and the House of Lancaster. A final Lancastrian rebellion rose against the Yorkist King Richard III following the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower, who were the two young sons of King Edward IV. Henry VII defeated the Yorkist leader King Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field and claimed the throne of England becoming King Henry VII. The Dynasty of the Tudors was born, but it was shaky claim based on an illegitimate Plantagenet line. The Lancastrian King Henry VII therefore cemented his claim by marrying Elizabeth of York, the Yorkist daughter of King Edward IV. The Houses of York and Lancaster therefore merged leading to the creation of the emblem called the Tudor Rose.

3. The Design of the Tudor Rose

The national flower of England is the rose which was adopted as England’s emblem during the time of the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485). The design took the white rose of York as the center of the flower, and the red rose of Lancaster as the outside edging. The design symbolised unity and mutual regard.

4. The Tudor Rose Emblem

The Tudor Rose emblem was used as a badge, a distinctive device which is displayed as a mark of recognition by an individual or family and worn as a symbol of loyalty and allegiance. The emblem became part of the British heraldic tradition. The Tudor Rose Badge is still evident on the uniforms of the Yeomen Warders at the Tower of London.

5. Sources

Guy, John. The Tudors: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Tittler, Robert and Norman Jones: A Companion to Tudor Britain, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, 2008.