The main part of the Victoria State Rose Garden, is in the form of “A Tudor Rose”. We work in this section on a regular basis, and so really ought to know what a Tudor Rose is.
In 1989, Lola Porter bred and named a rose, Tudor Rose. It also grows in drawings, stained glass windows, stone and crowns.
It is a political emblem that originated to celebrate the union of the House of Lancaster and the House of York after the series of battles known as the War of the Roses. We are talking of the second half of the 15th century, when Henry Tudor of Lancaster became Henry VII and married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV.
Legend has it that the red rose of Lancaster was the Apothecary Rose, and the white rose of York was Alba semi-plena.
The Tudor Monarchs were Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Jane Grey, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
WAR OF THE ROSES
The War of the Roses was really a series of battles between the Houses of Lancaster and York for the right to put their contender on the throne of England. The period of the War was from 1455 to 1487.
The name “War of the Roses”, came from the fact that each House chose a rose as their symbol.
The House of Lancaster chose Rosa Gallica Officinalis, The Apothecary’s Rose. This rose originally came from “the Land of the Saracens” to Provins in France when Thibault Le Chansonnier returned from the Crusades. It is said that Edmond of Woodstock, the youngest son of Edward I of the House of Lancaster, was sent to Provins, a town south of Paris, which at that time was a part of the English realm, to quell a riot. He brought back the Apothecary’s Rose to England long before the War of the Roses.
Legend has it that the streets of Provins were overcrowded with Apothecaries shops and that each shop had Rosa Gallica Officinalis planted outside. Officinalis is Latin for “of the shop”, and this rose was famous for its use in many “medicinal” purposes, including “electuary of roses, conserves both moist and dry which is more usually called Sugar of Roses, Syrup of Dryed Roses, Honey of Roses, Distilled Water of Roses, Vinegar of Roses, Ointment of Roses and Ayle of Roses: and the rose petals dried which is of very great use”.
The House of York chose Alba Semi-plena as their emblem. The Romans had introduced this rose to England during their invasion, so it was well known and liked. This rose is one of two roses cultivated at Kazanlik, Bulgaria for the production of attar of roses. (The other is Kazanlik or Rosa Damascena Trigintipetala).
