Entire nations have a plant as a national symbol. The floristic symbol of England is the red rose, the queen of flowers. Each plant-symbol in a certain way reflects the history and culture of the state, represents the country to the whole world. Scientists call the symbols "a kind of text" addressed to future generations. What information does the plant symbol chosen by the British convey? Why did the perfect and exquisite rose, the symbol of England, become the hallmark of an entire nation, acquired a special meaning and the status of a “national” flower?
The choice of a plant-symbol is determined by different circumstances:
- the plant grows in the territory where the people live, who used it as a sign of socio-cultural coding;
- the origin of the symbol is associated with traditions and legends that convey information about the past;
- the choice of symbol is based on specific historical events.
In the case of England, the last circumstance was decisive - the plant symbol of England appeared due to a historical event - the War of the Roses.
The symbol of England and the war Scarlet andWhite roses
Quite a strange name for a war. Of course, it was not delicate flowers that fought among themselves, but people whose family coats of arms were decorated with roses. These individuals, who failed to share power peacefully, belonged to two lines of the royal Plantagenet dynasty - Lancaster and York. The modern symbol of England is the red rose. She was present in the coat of arms of the House of Lancaster, which contested the right to the English throne from the ambitious representatives of the House of York, whose coat of arms was decorated with a white rose.
It should be noted that the noble and luxurious flower appeared in the British Isles in the XIV century, and the most noble English lords and ladies were fond of breeding roses. Thanks to the artist John Petty, who wonderfully depicted on the canvas a scene invented by Shakespeare from the first part of the play "Henry VI", the modern viewer has the opportunity to imagine how supporters of the warring factions in the Temple garden chose red and white roses.
In 1455, the enmity between the two clans grew into a war that lasted 30 years, until 1485. The bloody struggle for the throne ended with the wedding of Henry VII (Lancaster) and the daughter of Edward IV (York), Princess Elizabeth. The Thirty Years' War, drawing a line under the English Middle Ages, was the starting point in the history of New England, when the Tudor dynasty settled on the throne, uniting the colors of two roses in its emblem.
Tudor Rose
From now on, the flower - the symbol of England was depicted as a white rose of York (in the center), bordered by the petals of a red Lancaster rose.
The emblem has become part of the heraldic tradition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Previously, the symbol of England was carved wherever possible: the emblem was decorated with ceilings in many English houses, it was present in the decoration of the facades of buildings. The emblem can still be seen on the uniforms of the Royal Life Guards and Guards in the Tower of London. The Tudor Rose is a detail of the cockade of the British reconnaissance troops. Her image is present on some coins. The rose adorns the Royal Arms of Great Britain and the National Emblem of Canada.
