White Rose of York actual symbolism behind the rose has religious connotations as it represents the Virgin Mary, who is often called the "Mystical Rose of Heaven". The Yorkist rose is white in colour, because in Christian liturgical symbolism, white is the symbol of light, typifying innocence and purity, joy and glory. During the civil wars of the fifteenth century, the White Rose was the symbol of Yorkist forces opposed to the rival House of Lancaster. The red rose of Lancaster would be a later invention used to represent the House of Lancaster, but was not in use during the actual conflict. The opposition
The Rose in Splendour: a Story of the Wars of Lancaster and York The Rose in Splendour: a Story of the Wars of Lancaster and York The Rose in Splendour: a Story of the Wars of Lancaster and York is an historical novel by Leslie Barringer. It was first published by Phoenix House in 1953. The novel is set in England over a period of eighteen months in the years 1460-61. It tells the tale of a young boy's early life, leaving his family’s farm first to an apprenticeship in York and later getting caught up in the bloody and decisive victory for the Yorkists at the Battle of Towton (29 March (Palm