The Royal Truth: Why Purple is Missing from Most National Flags

• Historically, purple dye was extremely rare and expensive, sourced from Murex sea snails, making it more costly than gold.
• Due to its high cost and difficult production, purple was reserved for royalty and nobility, not practical for national flags.
• Common flag colors like red, blue, green, and white were chosen for their accessibility and ease of large-scale production.
• In 1856, William Henry Perkin synthetically produced purple, making it affordable, but by then most national flags were already established.
• Only a few modern flags, like Dominica and Nicaragua, feature purple, adopted after synthetic dyes became available.

Why It Matters: Purple's historical rarity and high cost prevented its widespread use in national flags until synthetic dyes emerged.