Jubilee Stories

Dover Chalk is awe-inspiring. Matched to the iconic White Cliffs of Dover this spectacular natural chalk barrier has been deterring invaders for millenia. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, the conquering Normans projected their might by building imposing stone castles finished with a white lime wash from the cliffs so they could be seen from miles around.

Jet, a mineraloid derived from petrified wood, has been used in Britain since the Neolithic Age. Jet jewellery became fashionable in Roman Britain and saw a revival after Queen Victoria wore it as part of her mourning ensemble following the death of Prince Albert. Jet Black, also known as Bunting Black, is also an official colour of the British Admiralty.

Old English White exemplifies the heyday of the classic British cars of the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. It was a staple colour for Morris, MG, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Jaguar where its use in the sleek Jaguar XK120 exuded the elegance and beauty of cars from that era.

Light Aircraft Grey was introduced by the RAF in 1945 for the undersides of aircraft. This scheme greatly minimised the visual signature from the ground, even when flying close to water or on low level flight. Originally only used on the underside of aircraft this colour was extended to wrap around the entire body of certain aircraft in the late 1970s.

On its founding in 1918, the Royal Air Force needed new uniforms. They turned to the famous British textile firm, AW Hainsworth, who presented a grey-blue woollen cloth originally intended for the Tsar's Cossacks. Due to unrest in Russia the cloth couldn't be delivered and the newly formed RAF welcomed the surplus fabric and adopted the colour as the official uniform.

In 1947, the Royal family (King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret) embarked on a three month tour of Southern Africa. The Queen consort selected two colours for her outfits: Transvaal Grey and Natal Rose. Named after the South African province of Transvaal, Transvaal Grey was described as “a soft tone of pale grey adaptable to all occasions”.

In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth undertook an ambitious tour of Canada and the United States. Her Majesty's dressmaker, Norman Hartnell, marked the event with Mayflower Lilac commemorating the first visit by a reigning British monarch to North America while also paying homage to the famous ship that carried the first pilgrims to the New World in 1620.

Early Victorian post boxes used a bronze green colour in the hopes that green would be unobtrusive. However, in the thick London fog green proved to be too unobtrusive as people kept running into them. In 1874, this colour was changed to red and standardised by the Post Office as Pillar Box Red.

Murrey Red is one of the colours used in heraldry that date from the early 13th century. In the 16th century, it was used in the livery colours of the House of York, as depicted on the shields of the Falcon of the Plantagenets and the White Lion of Mortimer, which are two of the Queen's Heraldic Beasts.

Heraldic Plum, also Purpure from the Latin for purple, has long been associated with royalty and holiness because of the expense of producing the colour. During the Elizabethan era in the 16th century, the Sumptuary Laws strictly forbade the use of purple, except for imperial use due to its association with wealth and regal status.

In 1947, the Royal family (King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret) embarked on a three month tour of Southern Africa. The Queen consort selected two colours for her outfits: Transvaal Grey and Natal Rose. Named after the South African province of Natal, Natal Rose was described as "a delicate tone of dusky pink".

Shell pink is attributed to the elegant shade of pale pink seen in the small, clam-like Thin Tellin Seashell. Easily recognisable with its long, delicate, oval edges and often striped pink surfaces accumulates in the thousands on the sandy shores all round the British coasts.

In 1934, the British Colour Council described Primrose as "matched to the flowers of that name growing in Surrey". It has been a popular colour for fabric and fashion for centuries, going back to Elizabethan records. In the mid-20th century, Pale Primrose was a popular colour choice for several British car companies including Jaguar, MG, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, and Rover.

Bunting Yellow was one of the colours used in the rousing and famous signal sent by Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy, Horatio Nelson, from his flagship HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805: "England expects that every man will do his duty". Sailors who hoist signal flags are called 'bunting tossers' or just 'bunts', hence the name bunting.

Oxford Ochre was named after the earth pigment described by the 17th century naturalist and Oxford professor, Robert Plot. He identified the source of the best yellow ochre of its kind as being at Shotover on the east side of the hill. Its rich colour and hardy nature made it popular for many decorative purposes from painting houses to fine artwork.

Tawny Orange has its roots in the medieval Latin word tannare, meaning to tan leather. In heraldry it is referred to as tenné and is described as a stain of orange. Tenné also appears in the 1937 volume of Traditional British Colours that was produced for the Coronation of His Majesty King George VI.

Eau de Nil epitomised the glamorous Art Deco era in England. Literally translated as ‘water of the Nile’ this calming shade was considered so relaxing to the eyes that it was used for the interiors of RAF aircraft and was commonly called Cockpit Green. In the 1950s, Eau De Nil became the signature colour of the famous London store Fortnum & Mason.

Until the 19th century, Verdigris was the most vibrant green pigment available leading to its use in heraldry, fine art or by those who could afford it. A unique example can be seen in the Tudor Garden at Hampton Court Palace where the Heraldic Beasts for King Henry VIII and his wife Jane Seymour are standing on posts of Verdigris and white.

Bunting Green, also known as Spectrum Green, is the shade of green that is exactly between blue and yellow on the visual spectrum. Using the British Admiralty official bunting colour it was standardised by the British Colour Council in 1934. Sailors who hoist signal flags are called 'bunting tossers' or just 'bunts', hence the name bunting.

Light Bronze Green was introduced in England during the 18th century and continued its popularity into the 19th century. It was a colour that was sometimes employed on wood and metal elements to suggest a patinated metal. A superb example of its use can be seen at the house museum of the influential neo-classical architect Sir John Soane, in Holborn, London.

In 1903, the Gordon Bennet car race was held in Ireland. To pay homage to their Irish hosts, and since other countries had already used England's national colours, the British cars were painted in green. In 1929, the first Monaco Grand Prix was won by Briton William Grover-Williams using a darker shade of green, known since then as British Racing Green.

In 1829, at the first Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race the University of Oxford was said to have borrowed the now distinctive Oxford Blue from Harrow School, founded in 1572. The Boat Race is held annually between the University of Oxford and Cambridge University and is now one of the oldest sporting rivalries.

Thomas Gainsborough, a founder of the Royal Academy, was one of the most important British painters of the 18th century. Gainsborough Blue, a shade of azure popular in interior decor and fashion of the time, was used extensively in many of his famous portraits. This colour is also included in the official bunting colours for the Admiralty and was standardised in the 1930s.

In late 1914, to avoid friendly fire, the Royal Flying Corps copied the French Armée de l'Air roundels. Since both national flags shared the same red, white, and blue they reversed the colours of the French tricolour cockade. Pale Roundel Blue was introduced later for the white anti-flash schemes designed to reflect some of the thermal radiation from a nuclear explosion.

In 1965, Rail Blue became standardised by the British Colour Council after becoming the centralised colour to the new corporate identity of the nationalised British Rail. This cool, dark blue hue was originally chosen to hide the dirt on the exterior trains and soon became the pervasive colour throughout the British Rail organisation up until the late 1980s. Created by the Design Research Unit, it remains one of the most successful corporate design schemes of the 20th Century.

To celebrate the 2022 Jubilee year, Elizabeth Purple is one of the two official colours created for the historic celebrations. This is a rich and vivid shade of purple that has a long association with royalty. It has been used as the main colour in the official emblem for Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

To celebrate the 2022 Jubilee year, Platinum Pageantry is one of the two official colours created for the historic celebrations and used as the accent colour in the official Platinum Jubilee emblem. A very pale, cool grey, Platinum Pageantry represents the 70 year reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

To celebrate the 2023 Coronation of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla the national colours associated with the Union Jack have been assigned as the official colours to mark this historic occasion. Charles Blue is a shade of royal blue that has traditionally been associated with the royal family and represents authority, stability, and confidence.

To celebrate the 2023 Coronation of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla the national colours associated with the Union Jack have been assigned as the official colours to mark this historic occasion. Coronation Crimson, traditionally associated with royalty, symbolises power, strength, and passion and is also a colour of prestige and luxury.

Initially recorded as a colour in late 18th century England, Salmon quickly gained prominence as a fashionable choice for clothing. Named after the flesh of fish that gracefully traverse UK rivers, especially in Scotland, it has maintained its appeal in interior design and fine art. Its enduring popularity stems from its harmonious blend of vibrant energy and soothing calmness.