Palatinate
A purple shade long tied to Durham University and its traditions
Palatinate is a purple colour closely linked to Durham University and the area around Durham in England. Its shades range from soft mauve to deeper purples, used in academic robes, sports kits, and local symbols. The name recalls Durham’s historic status as a County Palatine and the colour’s roots in episcopal dress.
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- Palatinate is the official colour of Durham University.
- It appears in both academic robes and sports kits.
- The colour’s name comes from Durham’s historic County Palatine status.
- Shades range from soft mauve to deep purple.
- Palatinate blue is a related colour used in county symbols.
What colour is Palatinate?
Palatinate is a purple colour that can appear as a gentle mauve or a darker, richer purple, depending on its use. It is most often seen in the academic and ceremonial life of Durham University, as well as in local symbols and uniforms. This colour stands apart from other purples by its strong connection to one place and its shifting shades for different purposes.
Where does Palatinate come from?
The name 'Palatinate' refers to Durham’s unique history as a County Palatine, where the bishop held special powers. The choice of purple is linked to the bishop’s traditional colour, especially during the time of Bishop Van Mildert, who played a key role in founding Durham University. Stories tell of the university adopting the colour after seeing a purple coat worn by the bishop, and it became the first official university colour for academic dress in Britain.
How Palatinate is defined
Palatinate is not made from a specific pigment or dye, but is defined by colour standards for different uses. For academic robes, a lighter shade matching British Colour Council’s 'Crocus' is used, while the university’s branding uses a darker tone, such as Pantone 255C. The exact hue has shifted over time, with both soft and deep purples appearing in official and ceremonial contexts.
Where Palatinate is used
This colour is a key part of Durham University’s identity, showing up in academic hoods, sports kits, and choir robes. It has also been used by other institutions, such as Newcastle University and Trinity College (Connecticut), and appears in the robes of Durham Cathedral’s choir. Palatinate purple has even been used for the scabbard of the city’s civic sword and in commercial products like dyes and cosmetics.
What Palatinate means
While palatinate purple does not carry a single symbolic meaning, its use marks tradition, academic achievement, and local pride in Durham. Its link to episcopal dress and the county’s special status gives it a sense of history and distinction, especially in university and civic life.
Purple around the world
What the purple and violet family means from country to country.
In Holy Week, members of religious brotherhoods walk in procession in robes and pointed hoods, many of them purple, the colour of penance. A purple band also marked the flag of the Second Republic.
Sacred and holyPolitics and protestSource: Holy Week in SpainSuffragettes campaigning for women's votes wore purple, white and green: purple for dignity, white for purity and green for hope.
Politics and protestCourageSource: SuffragetteA child born to a reigning Byzantine emperor was called porphyrogennetos, born in the purple. The birth took place in a palace room lined with purple stone.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Born in the purpleIn the elections of 2005, voters dipped a finger in purple ink to prevent double voting. The stained finger, held up for cameras, became a sign of the vote.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Election inkPurple dye from the murasaki plant was costly and hard to make. In the court rank system set up under Prince Shotoku, the highest officials wore purple caps.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Twelve Level Cap and Rank SystemThe Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon made Tyrian purple from sea snails. The dye was so costly that it became the colour of kings and Roman emperors.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Tyrian purpleShades and relatives of Palatinate
Palatinate purple covers a range of shades, from soft lavender to deeper purples. A related colour, palatinate blue, is also tied to the area, especially through the county’s coat of arms and flag. The university has used several versions of palatinate purple over the years, with both lighter and darker tones appearing in different settings.
Colours that go with Palatinate
Harmonies are worked out from the value #682860. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Palatinate
What colour is palatinate?
Palatinate is a purple shade that can range from a light mauve to a deeper, richer purple, depending on where it is used.
Where does the name 'palatinate' come from?
The name refers to Durham’s historic status as a County Palatine, where the bishop held special powers. The colour is linked to the bishop’s traditional purple dress.
Where is palatinate used?
It is most often seen in Durham University’s academic robes, sports kits, and choir dress, and also appears in local civic symbols and some commercial products.
Is palatinate always the same shade?
No, the exact shade has varied over time and by use, from soft lavender in academic dress to darker purples in university branding.
What is palatinate blue?
Palatinate blue is a separate colour related to County Durham’s coat of arms and flag, distinct from palatinate purple.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Palatinate (colour)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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