Its true that sometimes baby roses take some time to look like the mature rose that it is supposed to be. Also, heat or water stress can also make rose blossoms appear smaller, lighter, have less fragrance, or have less petals than it would normally have. Maybe you could post some photos. See if you can get pics of leaves, buds, thorns etc.

It is harder to tell when they are varieties rose blooms of similar size, color, etc.

I did get a Mrs Woods Lavender Noisette band, one time and it was supposed to be Maman Cochet. It was clearly not the same so I posted some photos and someone on the Antique forum correctly identified it for me.

Viking Queen is such a saturated pink I would agree with you bellarosa that a mistake was made.

I do agree with Sultry that it can eventually be sorted.

I agree that checking the thorns and leaves might help, my Viking Queen has rather distinctive thorns and leaves that do not look at all like my New Dawn. My own root Viking Queen from Heirloom did have some pale blooms her first year but not as pale as New Dawn.

Year one maiden bloom on Bliss Parfuma (spring) planted bare root

year two bloom Bliss Parfuma (spring)

They look different in form and petal count with young plants, but color is the same (at same time of year or same temps roughly ). In the heat it can often wash out and look paler / lighter.

This is the first maiden bloom of Earth Angel, planted late spring, potted from Heirloom. Just bloomed a day or so ago, 100 degree heat in late summer. very small, low petal count, flat form, washed out. I would say it doesnt look like the online photos at all but still roughly in the same color category. New Dawn and Viking Queen are pretty different color wise. may legitim be a mix up unless very high heat is washing it out

First year maiden bloom Alnwick, planted bareroot March, bloomed in May

Second year, first bloom Alnwick

I have found almost without exception they don’t look like their promotional photos for the first year (petal count, form) for the first year.

Echo that reminds me of my first year Earth Angel's 1st spring bloom..it was the ugliest pale egg yellowish white color and hardly any petals whatsoever. I really thought I had the wrong rose. It bloomed gorgeously later in the fall. Not saying this is the case with the OP's rose but a good reminder for me.

Thanks everyone for your pics and advice - much appreciated.

Here's a pic of the rose in question. It's supposed to be Viking Queen, but to me, it really looks like New Dawn. It's put out two blooms for it's first year and was planted in the Spring time (around April) here in my Zone 5B garden. Does it look like VQ to you?

Not VQ.

Here's some additional pics of this rose. Doesn't look like VQ at all. What do you think?

Definitely not Viking queen, But not sure about new dawn. Could just be an immature flower. I've had new dawn give off some really strange flowers in the past When they were young.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see what next year brings..thanks again everyone.