This was first published as part of Kate and Anthony Week 2023 on 10 May 2023
All Kanthony fans are aware of the importance of Tulips to their story and folklore. In the book Anthony picks a Tulip from his mother's garden at Aubrey Hall and gives it to Kate, from this one scene a folklore was born, and Tulips will forever be connected to Anthony and Kate in the Bridgerton Universe.
In season 1 of Bridgerton we see Tulip imagery in connection to Anthony, with the most overt one being during an exchange Anthony has with Violet. Violet is doing some embroidery and shows Anthony, she is embroidering Tulips for Daphne, and says that they represent passion and says 'maybe your bride would like some', foreshadowing the connection with Anthony and Kate and Tulips.
But let's backtrack a little, and look at the meaning of Tulips as a flower. Tulips represent a perfect or deep love, they also represent rebirth. Tulips are a flower to give to the person you have a deep and unconditional love for, but also they are ideal for a person going through life changes and taking on new challenges.
From the perspective of Kate and Anthony, Tulips are the perfect flower to represent them, their love, but also their journey in the show.
Not only do Kate and Anthony have a deep love for each other, during the course of the show they went through changes, taking on new challenges, as they grew into themselves and their love, the Tulip represents this in its simplest form.
It is fitting then that when Anthony visits Kate after her accident he takes her Tulips as the representation of the life changes, and his deep love for her. But the colour of the Tulips is also representative of their journey and their story. The Tulips Anthony takes to Kate are Pink tinged with yellow, which can be read in a number of ways, but I believe symbolise their deep love, the overall affection, but also hope and forgiveness, respect and honour.
Red Tulips are commonly symbolic of a deeb abiding love, but by having Anthony take Kate pink Tulips the red is mixed with white which is symbolic of forgiveness (asking for not giving), respect and hope. I believe that by making the Tulips pink the show was mixing these two colours to symbolise Anthony's deep and abiding love for Kate, but also his deep respect for her whilst asking for her forgiveness. Further the Tulips that Anthony gave Kate had a yellow tinge on the bottom of the flower, with yellow Tulips symbolising hope I believe this was to symbolise Anthony's hope for a future with Kate.
Within the Bridgerton Universe these flowers symbolising a deep and perfect love will forever be associated with Kate and Anthony, and that is reflected when Gregory says that it is their love that made him believe in love.
For many of us Kate and Anthony will always symbolise the love to aspire to, and the Tulip will always symbolise that for us.
