Tudor Rose - Heraldry, Chivalry & Renaissance Gallery of Medallions

Tudor Rose

From 1455 to 1485, England was divided between two families fighting for control of the throne. The two families were the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Each house was represented by a rose. The House of York used a white rose, and the House of Lancaster used a red rose. The division between the two families became known as The War of the Roses. The War of the Roses ended when Henry VII (representing the Lancaster family) and Elizabeth of York (representing the York family) were married. This marriage united the two families, and Henry VII became the first Tudor King of England.

The Tudor family is represented by the Tudor Rose. It is a rose which combines both a red and a white rose. The Tudor Rose symbolized the union between the red rose of the House of Lancaster and the white rose of the House of York. The union of the two families was reaffirmed when the son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York became King.

Henry had three children named Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward. Mary was the daughter of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth was the daughter of his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Edward was the son of his third wife, Jane Seymour. (Henry had a total of six wives.) When Henry died, Edward became King. His name was Edward VI. However, Edward died six years later without any children, and his half-sister, Mary, became Queen. Her name was Mary I. Mary also died shortly after taking the throne, and Elizabeth became Queen. Her name was Elizabeth I. She ruled England for many years, and her reign is known as the Elizabethan Era.

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