Royal homage to the late Princess Diana through the introduction of a new rose variety
Rosettes and Revelations:
Ah, the cherry on the top of our planet's botanical delights - the rose! This enchanting flower has bewitched us for roughly 40 million years, serving as a muse for poets, painters, and perfumers alike. Fast forward to today (May 9), and the RHS has unveiled a fresh rose, named after HRH The Princess of Wales, with proceeds benefiting The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
First traced back to Asia, this tenacious bloom has grown to become not only the queen of our gardens but also the most frequent occupant of our daily lives. Considered the embodiment of love, beauty, sexuality, sin, and even melancholy, this blossom has inspired countless tales, beliefs, and design innovations. Cue Phaidon's breathtaking new tome, The Rose Book, that delves into our multidimensional bond with this flower par excellence.
In the second century, the rose was immortalized as the female monarch of flowers by Greek wordsmith Achilles Tatius in his romantic prose Leucippe and Clitophon. Despite its royal stature, the rose is also the most common of blooms, thanks to its robust constitution, adaptability, and infectious spirit.
While we recognize its Asian origins and global contexts, the British have a soft spot for the rose - affectionately nicknaming delicate-looking young women "English roses." The British floral industry took off during the 1870s, usurping France's lead in cultivating roses. Household name David Austin, with roots in Shropshire, now offers over 200 delectable "English rose" varieties to discerning growers worldwide. Imagine hosting a rose-themed garden soiree, reminiscent of the 1880s vogue, just as the sun rises or under the moon's humble glow, when the roses are at their zenith of enchantment. Impressive, wasn't it? The Vanderbilt family - once the wealthiest clan in the US - once ordered 50,000 cut roses for a housewarming gala, welcoming 1,000 esteemed guests. Today, a single, fresh rose continues to signify an occasion worthy of celebration.
The 21st century has ushered in another era of rose renaissance, reverberating beyond gardens. In 2021, NEXT Architects unveiled a modernistic metal edifice to house Beijing's new Rose Museum. Once again, the rose has found itself ensnared in politics, as a symbol of resistance, human rights, and social justice. In bygone eras, the bloom symbolized England's War of the Roses and Germany's anti-Nazi youth movement, while in contemporary times, it has championed causes such as racial equality, identity, sexuality, and environmental sustainability.
Personally, I find myself entranced by the myriad ways in which the rose has ignited our fashion consciousness. Clad in roses, the ancient Romans - a society renowned for their rose mania - sported potent rose-based perfumes while women preferred aromas that packed a punch. In the 18th century, the European upper crust adorned themselves in roses, from head to toe. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that roses became synonymous with women's fashion.
Roses are the lifeblood of the fashion industry. Bereft of roses, no catwalk would be complete without the haute couture designers Charles Frederick Worth, Christian Dior, and Alexander McQueen, who left their indelible mark on the world of fashion with their rose-inspired masterpieces. These horticultural virtuosos dressed men, women, and non-binary individuals, transforming them into living, breathing canvases of artistry and elegance.
In the present day, globetrotters with deep pockets buy roses, cultivated by the planet's poorest citizens. Expensive, odorless, and thirsty, long-stemmed roses draining precious resources - all before being shipped across the globe - are anything but romantic. Fortunately, a positive shift is on the horizon, spearheaded by forward-thinking florists like Shane Connolly, who encourage us to purchase locally grown and seasonal roses instead. Close your eyes and visualize the allure of these authentic, glamorous roses - now, that's the stuff of dreams!
Pre-order your very own 'Catherine's Rose' today! It's slated for delivery in autumn 2025. Intrigued? The Rose Book hits the shelves on April 3. Be prepared to delve into the intoxicating world of roses!
Amy de la Haye,Professor of Dress History and Curatorship, University of the Arts London.
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^{References:}^{1. https://www.britannica.com/plant/Rose}^{2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/rose-flower}^{3. https://www.britannica.com/art/rose-in-sculpture-architecture}^{4. https://www.womenshistory.org.uk/sites/default/files/Rose.pdf}^{5. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2011/02/ancient-giant-rosetta-stone-shines-light-why-roses-symbolize-love}
The rose, an enchanting flower that has been a muse for poets, painters, and perfumers, has also made a significant impact on lifestyle and fashion-and-beauty, inspiring countless design innovations and being synonymous with women's fashion. In home-and-garden, the rose remains the queen of gardens and a common sight in landscapes worldwide, even finding its way into modernistic architectural structures like the Beijing Rose Museum.
