Palatinate (colour)


Palatinate or 'palatinate purple' is a purple colour associated with Durham University and the City of Durham. It is used in the academic dress of Durham University and in the faculties of medicine and law at Newcastle University. It was also formerly used in the BA and MA hoods of Trinity College.
The term has been used to refer to a number of different shades of purple. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as a "light purple or lavender colour", which is used for Durham academic hoods. For corporate purposes Durham University uses a darker shade.
A separate colour, 'palatinate blue', is derived from the Coat of Arms of the County of Durham. The name 'Palatinate' in both instances alludes to the historic status of Durham as a County Palatine.

Origin

It is likely that the choice of purple as the University's colour relates to the key role played by the Bishop of Durham in the foundation of the University, as well as to the unique historical status of Bishops of Durham as Palatine Earls. It was the first 'university colour' adopted by a British university for its academic dress.
C.E. Whiting's history of the university records the following story as being told to him by Revd Charles Whitley, Reader in Natural Philosophy at the University 1833-1854:
An account, written sometime between 1876 and 1896, of Van Mildert's ceremonial entry into County Durham upon his election as bishop in 1826, refers to him wearing "a coat and waistcoat of the Palatinate purple". The scabbard of the civic sword of the City of Durham is described as being "of purple velvet, the colour of the old palatine of Durham".
In the mid-19th century, the University tailor referred to the colour used in the hoods as Palatinate Blue, despite it being "really a sort of purple".

Colour data

The precise colour of palatinate purple used by the University varies a good deal. Its most long-established usage is in the University's academic dress and sporting colours, both of which use a significantly paler shade than that used by the university for corporate purposes.
The palatinate purple used for the academic robes is said by Shaw to be British Colour Council No. 177 "Crocus" from the second edition of the Dictionary of Colour Standards. BCC 177 Crocus has CIE 1931 colour space values of X=0.308, Y=0.223, Z=0.469 with a brightness factor of 7.76% under CIE Standard Illuminant B.
The shade of purple used by Durham University in its corporate branding from 2019 is: RGB: 104, 36, 109; Hex: 68246D. Prior to this, Pantone number 255C; CMYK: 51, 91, 0, 34 RGB:126, 49, 123; Hex: 7E317B was used from 2005 to 2019 and a shade closer to plum prior to 2005. The corporate branding prior to 2019 also included a lighter purple, close in appearance to the palatinate silk used in the academic dress, as one of the secondary corporate colours. This is Pantone 257C; CMYK: 15, 38, 0, 0; RGB: 216, 172, 214; Hex: D8ACE0.
Palatinate Blue, used in the Flag of County Durham is: Pantone number 286.