What color represented royalty in the Middle Ages?

Question

I am doing a project in which I have to draw an "illuminated letter". It is when you choose a person and write the first letter of their name in large print and decorate all around it with symbols showing who that person was. My person is Tristan from Tristan and Isolde. I am not sure what to draw. I also need to pick a color to write "T" in because this is very important - this color should symbolize who he was. Because he was royalty, I was thinking of writing "T" in a royal color, but I don't know what was the royal color in the Medieval Ages. If you know what color I should use or have any other ideas, please tell me!

Answer 1

Purple or crimson

"This shade of purple is bluer than the ancient Tyrian purple.

In medieval Europe, blue dyes were rare and expensive,[7] so only the most wealthy or the aristocracy could afford to wear them. (The working class wore mainly green and brown.) Because of this (and also because Tyrian purple had gone out of use in western Europe after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476), Europeans' idea of purple shifted towards this more bluish purple known as royal purple because of its similarity to the royal blue worn by the aristocracy."

Answer 2

royalty was either Red or Purple

Answer 3

The colour mostly associated with the power (and people who had power) was Red.

Gold was always big favourite with the Royals/Nobles, because Golden cloths were signs of joy, and the colour itself reminded of the positions they had. It should also be noted that materials of golden colour were rare and expensive.

However, colours that were mostly associated with the nobles/royals were light blue and silver - the 'noble' colours.

Therefore, I would suggest you to use light blue or silver to write "T", as those colours not only symbolize the Medivial Royals & Aristocrats, but also show the essence of Tristan's nature: nobility.

Red would not suite, as it shows thirst for power. Gold mostly symbolizes wealth / eagerness for wealth.

Good luck with your project! :)

Answer 4

I believe royalty is always RED

Answer 5

In medieval Europe, blue dyes were rare and expensive, so only the most wealthy or the aristocracy could afford to wear them. (The working class wore mainly green and brown.) Because of this, Europeans' idea of purple shifted towards this more bluish purple known as royal purple because of its similarity to the royal blue worn by the aristocracy. This was the shade of purple worn by kings in medieval Europe.

Answer 6

Purple.  Earlier it was "crimson" as in "burgundy".  Either would be great.  Your letter should be embellished with gold.