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White Rose of York facts for kids

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WhiteRose ofYork Symmetric
The white rose of York, a special symbol of the royal House of York. It's shown as a white rose with green parts and yellow seeds.
BL Royal Vincent of Beauvais2Yorkist rose
The white rose of York drawn in an old book during the time of King Edward IV (1461–1483).

The White Rose of York is a white rose used as a special symbol, called a heraldic badge. It became the symbol of the royal House of York in the 1300s. Today, it is also a widely known symbol for the area of Yorkshire in England.

History of the White Rose

The white rose has a long history, even connecting to religious ideas. For example, in Christian traditions, the white rose (like the white lily) stands for purity. White is often a symbol of light, innocence, joy, and glory.

The White Rose was first used as a symbol by Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. He was a son of King Edward III of England. His older brother, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, chose a red rose as his family's symbol. This was the Red Rose of Lancaster.

Later, the families of these two brothers fought for control of the English throne. This long fight was called the Wars of the Roses. It got its name from the white and red rose symbols of the two rival families.

Tudor Rose
The Tudor Rose of England, a mix of the white and red roses.

The Wars of the Roses ended when King Henry VII of England took the throne. He married Elizabeth of York, a member of the York family. To show peace and unity, he combined the White Rose and the Red Rose to create the Tudor Rose. This new rose became the symbol of the English royal family.

Much later, in the late 1600s, a group called the Jacobites used the White Rose of York as their own symbol. They even celebrated "White Rose Day" on June 10th. This day marked the birthday of James Francis Edward Stuart, who was also known as "The Old Pretender."

A special event happened during the Battle of Minden in Germany on August 1, 1759. Soldiers from Yorkshire, who were part of the 51st Regiment, picked white roses. They put these roses on their coats to honor their friends who had died in the battle. Because of this, Yorkshire Day is celebrated every year on August 1st.

In 2015, the body of King Richard III was found. He was the last Yorkist king and died in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth. When his body was reburied, his new coffin had a white rose carved into it. This was a special tribute to the king and his family's symbol.

The White Rose in Yorkshire Today

Flag of Yorkshire
The Flag of Yorkshire, showing the white rose on a blue background.

The flag of Yorkshire shows a White Rose on a blue background. The flags of the three main areas of Yorkshire, called "ridings," also proudly display this rose.

Many towns and councils in Yorkshire use the White Rose in their official symbols, called coat of arms. This includes places like the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and North Yorkshire Council.

In the world of heraldry (the study of symbols), the York Rose is described in a special way: "A rose argent barbed and seeded proper." This means it's a white rose with its green leaf-like parts and yellow seeds shown in their natural colors.

Sometimes the rose is shown with a petal pointing up, and sometimes with a green part (called a sepal) pointing up. Traditionally, in the North and West parts of Yorkshire, the rose is shown with a petal at the top. But in the East Riding, it's usually shown with a sepal at the top.

The Yorkshire Party, a political group that wants more local control for Yorkshire, uses a modern version of the White Rose of York as its symbol.

International Uses of the York Rose

The White Rose of York is also used in other parts of the world. For example, the city of York, Pennsylvania in the United States uses it in its official seal. This city is even known as "White Rose City."

The city's former baseball team was called the York White Roses. Today, the current baseball team, the York Revolution, wears hats with the white rose on them. They wear these hats when they play against the Lancaster Barnstormers, a team from "Red Rose City."

Canada's York University also features the York Rose on its shield.

In Nairobi, Kenya, the York Rose is part of the symbol for Lenana School. This school was once known as Duke of York School.

Queens County, New York in the United States uses the Tudor rose on its county flag. This area was named after Catherine of Braganza, who was married to King Charles II of England. The city of New York itself was named after James, Duke of York, who later became King James II.

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