heraldic roses feature prominently in english history. the two rival royal houses of the fifteenth century were supposedly known by their heraldic badges, the red rose of lancaster and the white rose of york, from which their long conflict was later called the wars of the roses. the white rose of york was later used as the badge of jacobitism in england and scotland, and before world war i one of britain's main jacobite organizations was called the order of the white rose. red and white roses appear in the civic heraldry of lancashire and yorkshire respectively.