Tudor rose
Henry VII took the crown of England from Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. This event ended what historians later called the Wars of the Roses. Henry's father was Edmund Tudor and his mother was Margaret Beaufort from the House of Lancaster. He married Elizabeth of York in January 1486 to unite the two warring factions. The white rose represented the House of York while the red rose symbolized the House of Lancaster. Henry created this new badge to present himself as a peacemaker king. Historian Thomas Penn notes that Henry adopted the Tudor rose conjoining the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York on his marriage. The design featured five white inner petals for York and five red outer petals for Lancaster.
The visual form of the Tudor rose changed significantly over time. Early depictions showed the rose divided in quarters or vertically per pale red and white. More often the Tudor rose appeared as a double rose with white inside red. Heraldically it is always described as proper meaning naturally coloured despite not existing in nature. The badge sometimes appears slipped and crowned showing a cutting with stem and leaves beneath a crown. Nicholas Hilliard painted the Pelican Portrait of Elizabeth I featuring this specific version. The Westminster Tournament Roll includes a badge of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon with a slipped Tudor rose conjoined with Catherine's Spanish pomegranate. James VI of Scotland and I of England used a badge combining the Tudor rose dimidiated with a Scottish thistle surmounted by a royal crown.
An Order in Council dated the 5th of November 1800 established the crowned and slipped Tudor rose as the royal floral emblem of England. It appears on the dress uniforms of Yeomen Warders at the Tower of London and Yeomen of the Guard. The design features in the 20-pence coin minted between 1982 and 2008. It also appears in the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom and Canada. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom uses it alongside other floral badges representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth bears a Tudor rose with colours divided vertically per pale. The Intelligence Corps of the British Army includes it on their cap badge. The Nautical Training Corps founded in Brighton in 1944 displays
the Tudor Rose on an anchor shank with the motto For God Queen and Country.
The Tudor rose spread globally through colonial history and international adoption. The borough and county of Queens in New York City uses a Tudor rose on its flag and seal. Annapolis Maryland features a Tudor rose and thistle surmounted with a crown on its flag and seal. The city of York South Carolina is nicknamed The White Rose City while nearby Lancaster South Carolina is called The Red Rose City. York Pennsylvania and Lancaster Pennsylvania similarly use stylized white and red roses in their emblems. Sutton Coldfield uses the emblem frequently due to receiving Royal Town status from Henry VIII. Oxford displays the Tudor rose on its coat of arms. VisitEngland employs a monochromatic form as its symbol for England's tourist board. A half-and-half design known as the Border Rose appeared
in parts of Todmorden historically bisected by the Yorkshire-Lancashire border. Ten Tudor roses appear on the crest of the England national football team.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Who created the Tudor rose and when was it first adopted?
Henry VII created the Tudor rose to present himself as a peacemaker king after his marriage to Elizabeth of York in January 1486. Historian Thomas Penn notes that Henry adopted the Tudor rose conjoining the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York on his marriage.
What does the design of the Tudor rose symbolize regarding English history?
The Tudor rose represents the union of the House of York and the House of Lancaster following the Wars of the Roses. The design features five white inner petals for York and five red outer petals for Lancaster to signify peace between the two warring factions.
When did the crowned and slipped Tudor rose become the royal floral emblem of England?
An Order in Council dated the 5th of November 1800 established the crowned and slipped Tudor rose as the royal floral emblem of England. This specific version appears on the dress uniforms of Yeomen Warders at the Tower of London and Yeomen of the Guard.
Where can the Tudor rose be found on modern British institutions and currency?
The design features in the 20-pence coin minted between 1982 and 2008 and appears in the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom and Canada. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom uses it alongside other floral badges representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Which international locations use the Tudor rose on their flags or emblems today?
The borough and county of Queens in New York City uses a Tudor rose on its flag and seal while Annapolis Maryland features a Tudor rose and thistle surmounted with a crown on its flag and seal. The city of York South Carolina is nicknamed The White Rose City while nearby Lancaster South Carolina is called The Red Rose City.