Red & White Roses
The Meaning of Red & White Roses – Red & Yellow Roses are a Universal Symbol of Unity
Red and white roses bound together have been a sign of unity and peaceful accord since 1486 when Henry Tudor (future father of Henry VIII) combined the symbols of the red rose and the white rose to form the famous “Tudor Rose”.
War of the Roses
When child king, 12 year old Edward V died, he was succeeded to the English throne by his uncle, Richard III (later made infamous in a play by Shakespeare). Since Edward V died under very mysterious circumstances, armed conflict, almost instantly broke out. Edward and his baby brother had been sent to the Tower of London for their “protection” by Richard and were never seen alive again.
Richard, the ruling head of the House of York, used the white rose as his symbol. It was believed that the White Rose of York was at first a religious symbol representing the Virgin Mary but later came to stand for light, purity and glory.
On the other side, were the members of the House of Lancaster, whose family symbol was the red rose. Related to the child king, the Lancasters sought out an heir of their own.
After searching, they found Henry Tudor, a then unknown Welsh nobleman. Proclaiming Henry the rightful king of England, Lancastrian forces waged a bloody 30 year civil war which later became known as the War of the Roses.
Upon Richard’s death and an end of the war, Henry, being a diplomat, married Elizabeth of York (whose future granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth I was named for her). In a masterful display to heal his kingdom, Henry, now Henry VII created the Tudor Rose as symbol of his family.
The Tudor Rose is a Red Rose of Lancaster which has a White Rose of York at its center. Purity and light surrounded by bravery and courage. This is how red and white roses became a sign of a peaceful unity.
So when you give someone a gift of red and white roses, you are in fact continuing a long standing gesture of unification and merging two different elements into a single, harmonious whole. This why red and white roses are a sign of wedded bliss. If the stems of the roses are twined together, this is a sign of an engagement or pending marriage or the desire for one.
The Meaning of Red & White Roses
Standing for all things concerning unity and singleness of purpose, red and white roses can be given to couples who are newlyweds or recently engaged. Red and whiter can be used smooth over troubles or disagreements business relationships, saying “We’re a Team”.
Red & White Roses can mean:
- Unity
- Oneness, Wholeness
- Steadiness of Purpose
- Merging or blending into one
- “We’re a Team” or “We’re in this together”
Once you understand the meaning of red and white roses, you can use this deeply symbolic rose pairing to convey your feelings of being together at last.