Purple has a long history of being associated with royalty, power, and wealth. The reason why purple became the color of kings, queens, and emperors goes back thousands of years – and it’s all tied to how rare and expensive it was to create this beautiful hue.
The Origins of Purple Dye
In ancient times, dyes weren’t as easy to come by as they are now. Purple dye, specifically, came from a very particular source: the mucus of sea snails.
The ancient Phoenicians, who lived along the coast of the Mediterranean, discovered a way to extract purple dye from a species called the Murex snail. This dye, known as “Tyrian purple” (named after the Phoenician city of Tyre), was incredibly rare and difficult to produce.
It took thousands of snails and an elaborate process to produce just a tiny amount of dye, making it outrageously expensive.
Because of its high cost, purple became a status symbol, affordable only to those at the top of the social hierarchy – royalty, nobility, and the very wealthy.
The Color of Power and Prestige
The rich, deep hue of Tyrian purple also carried a certain visual weight that seemed to represent power and prestige. Emperors, kings, and queens wore purple to signal their authority and dominance.
In Rome, for instance, only the emperor was allowed to wear a toga entirely dyed in Tyrian purple. Other citizens could wear only small stripes or trims of purple, reinforcing the link between the color and social rank.
Symbolism Across Cultures
Purple’s association with royalty extended beyond the Mediterranean. In Byzantine, Roman, and later European monarchies, purple retained its regal reputation.
During the Middle Ages, laws known as “sumptuary laws” even restricted the use of purple clothing to the upper classes or monarchy, making it illegal for anyone else to wear it. This maintained the color’s association with authority and exclusivity.
The Invention of Synthetic Purple
For centuries, purple remained rare and expensive until the mid-1800s, when a young chemist named William Henry Perkin accidentally created the first synthetic purple dye, known as mauveine.
This discovery made purple dye affordable and accessible to the general public for the first time. Although no longer exclusive to the elite, purple had already cemented itself in history as a symbol of royalty.
Purple in Modern Times
Today, purple still carries a hint of that royal allure. While no longer restricted to the upper class, it’s often used in ceremonies, luxury branding, and even spiritual contexts.
The color is also tied to creativity and wisdom, likely because of its association with the power, wealth, and nobility of ancient times.
In summary, purple became a royal color because of its rarity, the high cost of production, and its exclusive use among the world’s most powerful figures. It’s a color that rose to greatness, much like the kings and queens who wore it.