2. The National Emblems of Britain

2.1. The Rose

The national flower of England is the rose. The flower has been adopted as England’s emblem since the time of the Wars of the Roses - civil wars (1450-1485) between the royal house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York (whose emblem was a white rose). The Yorkist regime ended with the defeat of King Richard III by the future Henry VII at Bosworth on 22 August 1485, and the two roses were united into the Tudor rose (a red rose with a white centre) by Henry VII when he married Elizabeth of York.

2.2. The Thistle

The thistle is a wild plant with prickly leaves and yellow, white, or esp. purple flowers.

The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. This is how, according to a curious legend, that homely plant came to be chosen as a badge, in preference to any other.

In very ancient times the Norsemen once landed somewhere on the east coast of Scotland, with the intention of plundering and setting in the country. The Scots assembled with their arms and took their stations behind the river Tay, the largest in Scotland, at the only practicably ford. As they arrived late in the day, weary and tired after a long march, they pitched their camp and rested, not expecting the enemy before the next day.

The Norsemen, however, were near; noticing that no guards or sentinels protected the camp, they crossed the river Tay, intending to take the Scots by surprise and slaughter them in their sleep. To this end, they took off their shoes so as to make the least noise possible. But one of the Norsemen stepped on a thistle. The sudden and sharp pain he felt caused him to shriek. The alarm was given in the Scots’ camp. The Norsemen were put to flight, and as an acknowledgement for the timely and unexpected help from the thistle, the Scots took it as their national emblem.

2.3. Order of the Thistle

Also in Scotland exists order of the Thistle. It is the highest order of knighthood, together with the Order of the Garter. It was founded in 1687, and is mainly given to Scottish noblemen (limited to 16 in number). A Knight of the Order places the initials «KT» after his name (full title, «The Most Ancient and Most Noble of the Thistle»).

2.4. The Leek

St David is the patron saint of Wales. He was a monk who lived on bread, water, herbs and leeks and died on March 1, 589 AD. The leek became the national emblem for Wales and medieval soldiers used to wear leeks as they road to battle. Leek is a vegetable related to the onion but with wider green leaves above a long white bulb.

Nowadays Welshmen all over the world on March, 1 celebrate St David’s Day by wearing either leeks or daffodils. The link between the leek and St David is the belief that he is supposed to have lived for several years on bread and wild leeks.

There is a conclusive evidence that Welshmen wore leeks on St David’s Day in Shakespeare’s time. In “Henry Y” Fluellen tells the King:

“If your Majesty is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps; which, your Majesty knows, to this hour is an honourable pledge of service; and I do believe your Majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy’s day!”

The daffodil is also associated with St David’s Day, due to the belief that it flowers on that day. It became an alternative to the Leek as a Welsh emblem in the present century, because some thought the leek vulgar.

Daffodil is a very common bell-shaped pale yellow flower of early spring.

There is a very well-known poem by William Wordsworth which British people often quote when talking about daffodil. It begins: