Rosa x Damascena, or the Damask Rose is a pink-coloured flower. It is thought to have been bought to England in the sixteenth century by Thomas Linacre, a classical scholar, physician of Henry VIII and tutor to Erasmus and Queen Mary I.
To me, the colour pink represents a mix of red and white – my love for fifteenth century British history. Most of the fifteenth century was consumed by the Wars of the Roses or Cousins War, a battle for the throne between the Yorkist (white roses) and Lancastrians (red roses). When these houses were united following the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, the Tudor reign began – commonly represented by a rose which was both red and white.
Roses are also a popular symbol in fairy and folk tales where they are often used to represent innocence or royalty.
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