I walk by a house with a royal blue mailbox. I don’t think I have ever seen a mailbox that color. Plus, it’s hard to tell in the photo, but the front door and the color underneath the house number are the same shade of royal blue. This is a family that loves that color. I have always liked royal blue. It is a color that enhances my skin tone and hair; I really should wear it more often. I do think it is a great color for sports team jerseys; my high school colors were bronze and blue — a royal blue. Dallas Mavericks colors are royal blue, navy blue, silver and black. Kansas City Royals colors are royal blue and gold. The Dutch porcelain manufacturer Royal Delft has been making fine china with a royal blue color since 1653. Casey McQuiston has written a book entitled “Red, White and Royal Blue.” It is an elegant, majestic color. Let’s find out more about it.
According to Wikipedia, the Oxford English Dictionary defines "royal blue" as "a deep vivid blue," while the Cambridge English Dictionary defines it as "a strong, bright blue color" and Collins defines it as "a deep blue color." U.S. dictionaries give it as further towards purple e.g., "a deep, vivid reddish or purplish blue" per Webster’s New World College Dictionary or "a vivid purplish blue" per Merriam-Webster.
The shade of blue associated with the name has actually changed over time. Before the 1950s, royal blue was considered to be much darker. By the 1950s, many people began to think of royal blue as a brighter color, and it is this brighter color that was chosen as the web color "royal blue." The web colors when they were formulated in 1987 were originally known as the X11 colors. The World Wide Web Consortium designated the keyword "royalblue" to be this much brighter color, rather than the traditional darker version of royal blue.
The name “royal blue” was first used in 1810-1820. Royal blue is both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. The “royal” in royal blue comes from England where it is said to have been created by clothiers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of whom won a competition to make a dress for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III.
According to the article “Everything About the Color Royal Blue” at https://www.canva.com/ colors/color-meanings/royal-blue/, royal blue is a deep, vivid blue. It is lighter than navy blue. The royal blue hex code is #4169e1. How do you make the color royal blue? Well, you can't. Blue is a primary color, which means you can't mix two paint colors to create blue.
There's a common misconception that royal blue and navy blue are interchangeable terms for the same color. In fact, royal blue is a far more saturated version of blue, while navy blue is a darker shade. The two colors can look great when paired together as an analogous color combination.
“Queen blue” and “imperial blue” are lesser-known versions of royal blue. Queen blue is a medium tone version of royal blue, with a more subdued effect, while imperial blue describes a darker shade, close to navy.
In keeping with its association with British history, the color royal blue features on the United Kingdom’s flag, which is known as the Union Jack.
Meaning of royal blue
The color royal blue has regal associations, thanks to its historical connection to the British throne. This makes it a popular choice for suits, bridesmaid dresses and formal outfits.
According to color psychology, blue is associated with trustworthiness and reliability. On the other hand, blue can be associated with depression: There’s the phrase “feeling blue” or singing “the blues.” But royal blue’s bright, vivid hue means it’s less likely to make this impression.
Other common associations for blue include peacefulness — blue is the color of the sky and the ocean, both of which are said to promote feelings of tranquility; as a result, the color blue is said to have the same effect.
How to use royal blue
Royal blue is a versatile color. It is commonly used for business logos, thanks to blue’s associations with trust and reliability.
This vivid color could be used as an accent color in a more subdued color scheme. Or, if you’re looking for something more dramatic, pair it with other bright colors—for example, lime green and orange.
In clothing, royal blue can be used for a tasteful pop of color and tends to suit all skin tones. In interior design, royal blue’s intensity can be balanced with neutral tones of ivory or champagne.
What colors go with royal blue?
Royal blue is an eye-catching, versatile color. Because of its bright hue, it can create too much intensity when paired with certain shades of red. Royal blue pairs nicely with orange, which is its complementary color on the color wheel. The colors that pair well with royal blue include:
- Gray.
- Yellow.
- Off-white or ivory.
- Green.
- Hot pink.
- Gold.
Royal Blue train
According to Wikipedia, the Royal Blue was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's flagship passenger train between New York City and Washington, D.C., in the United States, beginning in 1890. The Baltimore-based B&O also used the name between 1890 and 1917 for its improved passenger service between New York and Washington, collectively dubbed the Royal Blue Line. Using variants such as the Royal Limited and Royal Special for individual Royal Blue trains, the B&O operated the service in partnership with the Reading Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Principal intermediate cities served were Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore. Later, as Europe reeled from the carnage of World War I and connotations of European royalty fell into disfavor, the B&O discreetly omitted the sobriquet Royal Blue Line from its New York passenger service and the Royal Blue disappeared from B&O timetables. Beginning in 1917, former Royal Blue Line trains were renamed: the Royal Limited inaugurated on May 15, 1898, for example, became the National Limited, continuing west from Washington to St. Louis via Cincinnati. During the Depression, the B&O hearkened back to the halcyon pre-World War I era when it launched a re-christened Royal Blue train between New York and Washington in 1935. The B&O finally discontinued all passenger service north of Baltimore on April 26, 1958, including the Royal Blue.
Railroad historian Herbert Harwood said, in his seminal history of the service, "First conceived in late Victorian times to promote a new railroad line ... it was indeed one of the most memorable images in the transportation business, an inspired blend of majesty and mystique ... Royal Blue Line ... Royal Blue Trains ... the Royal Blue all meant different things at different times. But essentially they all symbolized one thing: the B&O's regal route." Between the 1890s and World War I, the B&O's six daily Royal Blue trains providing service between New York and Washington were noted for their luxury, elegant appearance and speed. The car interiors were paneled in mahogany, had fully enclosed vestibules instead of open platforms — still widely in use at the time on U.S. railroads, then-modern heating and lighting and leaded glass windows. The car exteriors were painted a deep "Royal Saxony blue" color with gold leaf trim, a color personally chosen by the B&O's tenth president, Charles F. Mayer.
The B&O's use of electrification instead of steam power in a Baltimore tunnel on the Royal Blue Line, beginning in 1895, marked the first use of electric locomotives by an American railroad and presaged the dawn of practical alternatives to steam power in the 20th century. Spurred by intense competition from the formidable Pennsylvania Railroad, the dominant railroad in the lucrative New York–Washington market since the 1880s, the Royal Blue in its mid-1930s reincarnation was noted for a number of technological innovations, including streamlining and the first non-articulated diesel locomotive on a passenger train in the U.S., a harbinger of the steam locomotive's eventual demise.
Royal Blue Grocery
According to its website, Royal Blue Grocery is a compact urban market that opened its doors in Downtown Austin in 2006. There are currently six locations in Downtown Austin, three in Dallas and one location in San Antonio. Each Royal Blue is different from the next, tailored specifically for the neighborhood it serves, and the people who visit daily. Royal Blue offers a little bit of everything, from Stumptown coffee and freshly prepared grab-and-go offerings, to conventional grocery and convenience items, with always tons of locally sourced products from unique brands. Called a bodega by some, a corner store by others, Royal Blue is a modern urban grocery store that has just what you need, where you need it, and when you need it.
Royal Blues album by Dragonette
Royal Blues is the fourth studio album by Canadian electronic music band Dragonette, released on November 18, 2016 by its independent record label. The album received minor success in Canada, peaking at 100 on the Canadian Albums Chart in December 2016. Royal Blues features production collaborations with musicians such as Matt Schwartz, xSDTRK, Mike Mago and The Sam Willows.
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