Violets were a major emblem to the Suffragettes, and each one who was unlucky enough to go to prison would be met with her fellow workers as she left and given a posy of the flowers.
They were also, interestingly, formed of the same three colours that symbolised the WSPU - green, white and purple - colours which were incorporated into many other ways of protest for those not brave enough to carry a banner, or state their true belief. This also applied to jewellery, where the three colours were peridot for the green, pearl for the white, and amethyst for the purple.
And many of the suffragettes changed their name to Violet, or added it, whether openly or secretly, as a middle name.
There were other connections too. The editor of the Suffragettes weekly newspaper "Votes For Women" explained them as : "Purple as everyone knows is the royal colour, it stands for the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette, the instinct of freedom and dignity...white stands for purity in private and public life...green is the colour of hope and the emblem of spring.'.
Whilst in the most basic language of all, the initials of Green White and Purple also stood for Give Women Votes.