Symbolism In The Wars Of The Roses

Henry Tudor is born during the onset of the Wars of the Roses to an illegitimate bloodline which traces its roots back to John of Gaunt duke of Lancaster. This lineage belongs to the House of Beaufort, which was established when John of Gaunt had his son who was born of a mistress legitimized. The only stipulation to this legitimization was that the Beaufort line would never be able to enter the line of succession for the Throne of England. Sadly, the Yorkists which would oppose the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses never came to the realization that an illegitimate child would grow up, and acquire an army powerful enough to eliminate all opposition. Henry goes about acquiring this army by becoming one of the last male claimants to the …show more content…
Henry does this by making Elizabeth of York his queen forcing the Lancastrian and Yorkist houses together once and for all. With this union Henry has quelled the Yorkists for the time being, and has begun to create the narrative of the intertwining roses that will ultimately become what is symbolized by the Tudor Rose. The Tudor Rose which is created when the Lancastrian red rose symbol has the white Yorkist rose inlaid into it, becomes a powerful tool in a period when the majority of the population is illiterate. In order for Henry to do this he had to resurrect the sparsely used red rose which actually derives from the golden rose of Edward I. The creating of a new combined symbol allows Henry to use the widely recognised white York Rose of Edward IV, and the sparsely used Lancastrian red rose in a way which benefits his cause. The idea behind this would be by combining them Henry would be able to elevate his houses red rose to the level of acceptance and legitimacy the white rose has. This new rose is usually presented with a crown above it to show that it belongs to the king, but it is also commonly seen without any adornments. This new symbol becomes a way for Henry VII to shore up his throne, because he now would be able to claim that his children will have the blood of both houses. The intention …show more content…
The English Sovereign created under Henry would portray the Tudor Rose on the reverse side along with the English Coat of Arms. The front of the coin would be adorned with Henry’s full body seated on a throne. Having the rulers full body printed on the coin along with his new branded symbol was not common during this time. Normally the rulers face would be placed on the coin with a cross on the reverse, but Henry wanted to make a statement. This statement was that he has the power and wealth to make a coin this grand. A heavy gold coin like the Sovereign was not really used in daily life by the common folk. It was more of a statement to other nobles and ambassadors who would come and visit the royal court. The notion of being given a heavy gold coin with the kings full body on it seated on a throne would be a powerful statement to anyone who visits and receives this gift. The coins that were circulated by the common folk were called Groats. This coin had a more simple look and was just Henry’s bust overlaid on the outline of the Tudor Rose. The reverse side had a simple cross and description. Thousands upon thousands of these simple coins were produced. Between 1485 and 1489 Henry had over one million of them produced. Henry used these coins as a way of spreading his brand like one would do today with social media. Since coinage was one of the most widespread things during this time his