City of Lancaster : Britain
City of Lancaster : Britain
City of Lancaster : Britain
The City of Lancaster is a local government district and city in Lancashire in North West England. Its main town is Lancaster, from which it obtained its city status (see the Lancaster article for the main description of the town). Other towns in the district include Morecambe, Heysham, Slyne, and Carnforth.
The etymology of Lancaster is derived from its large and imposing castle, and one of the two rivers that run through it, the River Lune (the other being the Ribble). Language evolution from the old name of Loyne Castrum, gives the modern name Lancaster.
Lancaster used to be the county town of the county of Lancashire but in 1974, this was changed to Preston.
The traditional emblem for the House of Lancaster is a red rose, similar to that of the House of York, which is a white rose. These names derive from the emblems of the Royal Dukedoms of Lancaster and York in the 15th century. This erupted into a civil war over rival claims to the throne during the Wars of the Roses. The Duke of Lancaster is one of the titles of the Queen, her son, Prince Andrew is the Duke of York.
In more recent times, the term Wars of the Roses has been applied to rivalry in sports between teams representing Lancashire and Yorkshire, not just the cities of Lancaster and York.