What does a white, purple or blue poppy mean? Different colour poppies explained

Remembrance Day, also known as Armistice Day, happens on November 11 every year.

It marks the day that the First World War ended – specifically on the ’11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.’

As well as a two-minute silence, typically held at 11am, people also wear poppy pins and badges as a mark of respect for servicemen and women, and all those who gave their lives during the war.

Typically in the UK, you’ll see people sporting red poppies as one of the more common symbols in the weeks and days leading up to the the Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday – though there are other colours of poppy, symbolising a variety of things.

Here are the colours you can get – and what they all mean.

The red poppy

A charity called The Royal British Legion has been selling red poppies for more than 100 years now.

Their website explains that the red poppy is ‘a symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future’.

It adds: ‘Wearing one is a show of support for the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces, veterans and their families.

‘It represents all those who lost their lives on active service in all conflicts; from the beginning of the First World War right up to the present day.

‘It also honours the contribution of civilian services and the uniformed services which contribute to national peace and security and acknowledges innocent civilians who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism.’

Donations from the sale of red poppies go directly towards helping the Armed Forces community. The RBL also sells plastic-free poppies, pins and car poppies.

The white/silver poppy

White poppies – also known as the silver poppy – were founded in 1933 by members of the Women’s Co-operative Guild who had lost loved ones in the First World War.

These colours were chosen to symbolise that they were against war and violence.

The white poppy was adopted by the Peace Pledge Union as their symbol of peace in the 1930s.

It says the white poppy remembers all victims of war from all over the world and challenges militarism.

Peace Pledge Union says: ‘We want to remember British military dead, but they are not the only victims of war. We also remember the many civilians who have died or suffered in war, both in the past and today. Suffering does not stop at national borders, and nor should remembrance.’

White poppies can be bought from the Peace Pledge Union website and from many supermarkets.

The purple poppy

The purple poppy is in remembrance of animals that lost their lives at war.

They are sold through the charity Murphy’s Army, and are not associated with The Royal British Legion or the Poppy Appeal.

Instead, sales of purple poppies raise money for charities such as The Horse Trust and Smokey Paws – who provide life-saving pet resuscitation equipment to Emergency Services throughout the UK.

Murphy’s Army helps reunite stolen pets with their owners and founder Andy Smith previously said: ‘As an animal charity we strongly believe that animals lost whilst serving should be remembered.

‘We want to acknowledge the sacrifices that they have made, and continue to make, and ensure they are not forgotten.’

The purple poppies are knitted and can be bought for either people or animals to wear, or you can buy a purple poppy pin badge.

The black poppy

The Black Poppy Rose has been around for just over a decade, being launched in September 2010 by Selena Carty.

The aim is to commemorate people of all nations of African, Black, West Indian and Pacific Islander heritage who contributed to war efforts.

On their official website, the organisation says the black poppy rose was ‘created to be a symbol that represents the contributions made by the African / Black / Caribbean / Pacific Islands communities to various wars since the 16th century’.

It explains it is ‘a symbol that signifies pride, honour and glory, with the hope that future generations will be inspired by these largely untold historical legacies’.

Black poppy pins, badges and wreaths can be bought through the Black Poppy Rose website, with proceeds going towards the organisation’s mission to preserve, collect and document the stories of men, women and children who fought and sacrificed their lives for the war effort.

The rainbow poppy

In 2019, an unofficial rainbow poppy appeared for sale on eBay.

It was inspired by a proposal from LGBTQ+ poet laureate Trudy Howson in 2016 for a poppy to commemorate LGBTQ+ veterans. However, the design was met with controversy when it launched.

Etsy sellers offer rainbow poppies in a variety of designs, including an enamel pin and handmade brooches.

When the rainbow poppy emerged, one veteran said he gets ‘really riled up’ when people ‘politicise the poppy for their own agendas,’ while the sellers said their only agenda was to make money for charity by selling the unofficial poppy.

The Royal British Legion also stocks a poppy enamel pin with a rainbow flag, which ‘symbolises support for our LGBTIQ+ community who are a vital part of our Armed Forces past and present.’

The blue poppy

The blue ‘poppy’ – Bleuet de France – rose to fame when then-US Vice President Kamala Harris wore one in 2021 when commemorating Armistice Day at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

However, the blue flower emblem, which France’s President Emmanuel Macron also donned, is actually a cornflower.

Instead of the red poppy, the French pay tribute on Remembrance Day by wearing a blue cornflower, known as the Bleuet de France. Just like poppies, cornflowers grew on the land devastated by the First World War. They were the only sign of colour in the mud of the trenches.

The badge – which was originally made of tissue paper – dates back to 1916. It was invented by army nurses Suzanne Lenhardt and Charlotte Malleterre.

Lenhardt and Malleterre wanted to give the injured soldiers an activity to take their mind off of their pain, so got them making flowers, which the soldiers could then sell to the public for a small personal income.

The badges gradually became a symbol of the rehabilitation of soldiers and represents all those who have died for France.

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