Royal Blue

Lore & Background

In early modern Europe, blue dye for textiles was made from woad. As it was expensive to produce and was not steadfast, it was used by the wealthy and became associated with nobility, particularly the kings of France. Ever since 508 AD and the baptism of Clovis I, has been associated with the kings of France and France as a nation. It was the main colour of the uniform of the French Royal Guards regiment, which were created in 1563. Very soon, starting in the 17th century, it became the colour of all the uniforms of the French Army, from the Musketeers, during the Napoleonic era, and all the way to the First World War, until it was made obsolete as a colour for battle uniforms by modern warfare and the need for camouflage.

Reader's Guide

The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'royal blue' as 'a deep vivid blue', while the Cambridge English Dictionary defined it as 'a strong, bright blue colour', and the Collins English Dictionary defines it as 'a deep blue colour'. US dictionaries give it as further towards purple, e.g. 'a deep, vivid reddish or purplish blue' (Webster's New World College Dictionary) or 'a vivid purplish blue' (Merriam-Webster). The British College of Arms published a definition of the traditional shade of royal blue for use in the Union Jack and identified the Pantone code 280 C, whilst Pantone's own definition called 'royal blue' is coded 19-3955 TCX. British Standard BS 381C assigned the code BS381C-106 for royal blue, and the defunct British Colour Council assigned the code BCC 197. A brighter color was chosen as the web color 'royal blue'. The World Wide Web Consortium designated the keyword 'royalblue' to be this much brighter color, rather than the traditional darker version of royal blue. Cree Inc. uses the term Royal Blue to describe light emitting diodes in the wavelength range 450–465 nanometers.

Did You Know?

• Royal blue is an official colour used in several national flags, including the Union Jack and in flags based on the Blue Ensign, such as the Flag of New Zealand.
• The Flag of the Philippines uses a royal blue field, which is normally displayed over the red field, to signify a state of peace.
• Royal blue is the primary color of the uniforms for many NHL teams, including the Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, and Vancouver Canucks.