Queen Alexandra Rose Day was created by Queen Alexandra to commemorate the 50th anniversary of her arrival in the UK, as the bride of King Edward VII. She developed the idea of a Rose Day from a Danish priest who sold roses from his garden for charity, although she changed the real roses to paper ones.
The Rose Days were a great success, raising thousands of pounds for charity. Queen Alexandra was a hugely popular figure and many people helped to give out the paper roses on the streets in return for a donation.