The English rose is a traditional heraldic emblem of England and it takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty. It is often called the Tudor rose and was adopted as a national emblem of England around the time of the Wars of the Roses.
When Henry Tudor took the crown of England from Richard III in battle, he brought about the end of the Wars of the Roses between the House of Lancaster (Red Rose) and the House of York (White Rose). Henry's father was Edmund Tudor from the House of Richmond, His mother was Margaret Beaufort from the House of Lancaster; he married Elizabeth of York to bring all factions together.
In doing so he created the Tudor rose, conjoining the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster.
In heraldry, the rose is depicted as white on red if placed on a field of a metal (gold or silver), or red on white if placed on a field of a colour, due to the rule of tincture.