Sub Rosa

Those familiar with "The Da Vinci Code" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" will know of the term "Sub Rosa". But what has it to do with the Tudor Rose? This famous white and red rose symbol, called the Tudor Rose, dates back to the "Wars of the Roses" in the second half of the fifteenth century in England and named after the Tudor dynasty of whom Queen Elizabeth I was the last. During the "War of the Roses" in the 15th Century, many of the inns and hostels in the Yorkshire countryside had roses carved in the ceiling panels and beams of the bar rooms. Matters related to the War discussed “under the rose” were treated as being top secret and not to be repeated to others under pain of death. "Under the rose" therefore came to be accepted as meaning the imparting of secret matters and "Sub-Rosa" (Latin for "Under The Rose") was used extensively to indicate secret information right up to the early part of the twentieth century and even during World War II. These days the term "Sub Rosa" would be familiar to movie-going audiences as it has been used in popular films such as "The Da Vinci Code" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" - both dealing with subjects dating back to earlier centuries. And the symbol of the Tudor Rose is still used to indicate a professional company dealing with secret intelligence. We have made this iconic symbol of the Tudor Rose with the words "Sub Rosa" available here on a wide range of t-shirts, greeting cards, posters, prints, mugs and gifts.