by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo © Susan Flantzer

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is one of the primary palaces of the Dutch monarchy. Owned by the Dutch State, it is one of three palaces placed at the disposal of the Sovereign (along with Noordeinde Palace and Huis ten Bosch). Located in central Amsterdam, the palace sits on Dam Square next to the Nieuwe Kerk.

While once a royal residence, today it is used by the Dutch Royal Family for official functions, such as the annual New Year receptions and award presentations, and is the site of the formal welcoming ceremony during State Visits from foreign Heads-of-State. It is also used during the abdications and accessions of the Dutch sovereigns and has been the site of many balcony appearances by the Royal Family. It also houses guest apartments for visiting Heads of State. When not in use by the Royal Family, the palace is open to the public and is the site of several exhibitions each year.

The old town hall, from a painting by Jan van Kessel. source: Wikipedia

Originally the Town Hall, the building was turned into a Royal Palace by Louis Napoleon who became King of Holland in 1808. Following his abdication, and Hollands’ annexation by France, it was used as a residence for the French Governor. In 1813, Willem Frederik of Orange (son of the last Stadholder Willem V) returned and declared himself Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands, and eventually became King Willem I of the Netherlands. He returned the palace to the city but continued to use it for official functions, including the first State Visit in 1814, by Tsar Alexander I of Russia.

While King Willem I used the palace extensively, his two successors – Willem II and Willem III – used it just a few days each year during their reigns. Sitting empty for so long caused much criticism from the Dutch people and the government, which resulted in disagreements as to the actual ownership of the palace. It was eventually determined that the palace was legally owned by the City of Amsterdam. At the end of 1935, it was resolved to sell the building to the Dutch State, and designate that it be permanently at the disposal of the Sovereign. Queen Wilhelmina inaugurated the palace and used it as her winter residence in the last years of her reign.

Queen Juliana and Queen Beatrix used the Royal Palace primarily for official functions while living elsewhere (Soestdjik Palace and Huis ten Bosch, respectively). And King Willem-Alexander continues this tradition.

Queen Beatrix arriving at the abdication signing ceremony in the Moses Hall. source: Daily Mail

The Council Chamber, also known as the Moses Hall (Moseszaal), originally served as the meeting room of the city council when the palace was still the Town Hall. It was later used as a concert hall, and for the Council of State. It takes its name from several of the paintings depicting Moses which adorn the room. In 2013, the Moseszaal was the site of the abdication ceremony of Queen Beatrix, just as it was for Queen Juliana in 1980.

The Citizens Hall. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Citizens Hall is the grand hall in the center of the palace.  At 120 feet in length, 60 feet in width and 90 feet in height, it is the largest and grandest room in the palace.  The marble floor features maps of the eastern and western hemispheres of the globe (seen in the above photo with low metal railings around them), detailing Amsterdam’s colonial influence. The current hemispheres were made in the mid-1700s, replacing earlier maps from the 1650s.  The Citizen’s Hall is often the site of palace exhibits and was the site of a reception following the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander in 2013.

Looking out onto the Balcony, overlooking Dam Square. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Balcony dates from 1808 when it was installed as part of the changes made to the palace by Louis Napoleon. It was later reduced to its current size and design. The former railings were removed and replaced with medallions featuring the gold lion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Overlooking Dam Square, the balcony is used by the Royal Family following significant events, such as royal weddings and the accession of a new sovereign.

Learn more about the other Dutch Royal Residences here!

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

source: Wikipedia/Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (National Cultural Heritage)

Huis ten Bosch

Huis ten Bosch, in The Hague, is one of the state-owned palaces placed at the disposal of the Dutch sovereign. Having served as a summer residence for much of its royal history, it became the primary residence of the sovereign during the reign of Queen Beatrix. A year after her abdication, she left Huis ten Bosch and now resides at Drakensteyn Castle, the home she has privately owned since 1959. In January 2019, after a period of extensive renovations, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima and their family formally took up residence at Huis ten Bosch.

Huis ten Bosch was built in 1645 to be a summer residence for the Stadholder Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange and his wife, Amalia, Countess of Solms-Braunfels. The first stone was laid on September 2, 1645 by Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia (born Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James VI/I of Scotland and England, and Princess Anne of Denmark). Following Frederik Hendrik’s death, his widow turned the palace into a mausoleum in his memory. The large central domed room – The Orange Hall – was decorated with artwork dedicated to the life and work of the Prince. Following Amalia’s death, the palace passed her daughters and was later sold to Prince William III, a grandson of Frederik Hendrik (and later King of England). He continued to use Huis ten Bosch as a summer palace and made many changes to the building as well as the gardens.

Following Willem III’s death in 1702, the palace became the property of King Friedrich I of Prussia but returned to the House of Orange-Nassau in 1732. Prince Willem IV made major renovations, extending the building by adding two large wings to the east and the west – the Hague Wing and the Wassenaar Wing.

After the French invasion in 1795, all the properties of the Stadholder were seized, becoming the property of the state – and much of the furniture and art from Huis ten Bosch was sold. Over the next 20 years, the palace was used for many different things – it served briefly as a prison following a coup in 1798, the east wing was rented out as a brothel, and it later housed the National Art Gallery, the predecessor of today’s Rijksmuseum. Louis Napoleon lived there briefly after being proclaimed King of Holland and is credited with much of the style with exists today.

From 1815, with the proclamation of King Willem I of the Netherlands, the palace began to be used regularly as a summer residence of the Dutch royal family. Queen Wilhelmina used it during World War I (giving up her usual summer residence at Het Loo Palace), and again prior to fleeing the German invasion in 1940. The palace suffered significant damage during World War II and following the liberation, it was totally uninhabitable. Over the next 30 years, the palace underwent several significant restorations and was used sporadically for royal functions. It was not until August 10, 1981, that it returned to use as a royal residence when Queen Beatrix and her family moved in.

Today, just as during the reign of Queen Beatrix, Huis ten Bosch also serves as the site of many official functions. In 2014, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted a large group of world leaders for The Nuclear Security Summit, which included an official dinner held in the Orange Hall (pictured below). The Orange Hall underwent a complete restoration in the late 1990s and continues to serve as the backdrop for many ceremonies and functions. Additionally, the Hague Wing of the palace is used as guest accommodations.

Learn more about the other Dutch Royal Residences here!

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Villa Eikenhorst

Located on the De Horsten estate in Wassenaar, about 10km from The Hague, Villa Eikenhorst served as the official residence of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and their three daughters from 2003 until January 2019, when the family moved to Huis ten Bosch in The Hague.

The house was originally built between 1985-1987 for Princess Christina (the youngest daughter of Queen Juliana) and her husband, Jorge Guillermo. The couple lived there with their children until divorcing in 1996. After sitting empty for some time, the property was renovated and became the residence of the then-Prince of Orange in 2003. While primarily a private residence, The King and Queen occasionally host foreign visitors there as well as other official events.

The De Horsten Estate comprises over 400 acres and is privately owned by the Royal Family. Its origins go back to 1838 and 1845 when Prince Frederik (a son of King Willem I) purchased three neighboring estates – Raephorst, Ter Horst, and Eikenhorst – to establish his own private hunting grounds. At his death, the property was inherited by his daughter Marie, Princess of Wied. In the early 1900s, she sold the property to Queen Wilhelmina, and it has since passed by inheritance to Queen Juliana and then to Queen Beatrix who is the current owner. Beatrix’s sister, Princess Margriet, holds the leasehold and building rights on the area which was originally the Raephorst estate.

Learn more about the other Dutch Royal Residences here!

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

source: Wikipedia

Noordeinde Palace

Noordeinde Palace is the working palace of the Dutch monarchy and the site of the King’s offices. Owned by the State, it is one of three palaces placed at the Sovereign’s disposal (along with the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and Huis ten Bosch). The palace is used for official and state functions, as well as housing the offices of the Royal Court.

The palace began as a farmhouse which was converted into a residence in 1533. In 1591 it was leased (and later purchased) by the States of Holland for the widow and son of Willem the Silent, in recognition of his service to the nation. The son, Frederik Hendrik, enlarged the house significantly, naming it Oude Hof, and purchased much of the surrounding land. Following his death in 1647, and his wife’s death in 1675, the house sat empty for many years and eventually passed to his grandson, King Friedrich I of Prussia.

In 1754, King Friedrich II of Prussia (Frederick the Great) sold the palace to Stadholder Willem V, and his son, who would later become King Willem I of the Netherlands, took up residence in 1792. However, three years later, he was forced to flee during the French Revolutionary Wars, and the palace became the property of the State, which it remains today.

In 1813, Willem I returned to the Netherlands. As the constitution required that a summer and winter palace be provided for the sovereign, extensive renovations were made to the Oude Hof which then became the winter residence of King Willem I in 1817. Subsequent sovereigns used the palace sporadically – Willem II didn’t use it at all, while Willem III used it as his winter residence. It was Willem III who had the Royal Stables built in the palace gardens, and it was the birthplace of the future Queen Wilhelmina in 1890.

The Royal Archives. source: Wikipedia, Photo by Pauline van Till

Queen Emma, while serving as Regent, had the Royal Archives building built within the gardens. In 1901, the newly married Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik made Noordeinde their home and continued to use it until the German invasion in 1940. Following her return to the Netherlands after the war, she continued to use the palace occasionally but spent most of her time living at Het Loo Palace.

Just before Wilhelmina’s abdication in 1948, the central part of the palace was damaged by fire. Months later, when Queen Juliana ascended to the throne, she chose to keep her residence at Soestdijk Palace which had been her home since marrying in 1936. Instead, Noordeinde was used to house offices for the royal household.

From 1952 until 1976, the north wing of the palace housed the International Institute of Social Studies. In 1969, it was announced the future Queen Beatrix would, upon her accession, use Noordeinde as her offices and after the Institute relocated in 1976, the palace underwent seven years of extensive renovations.

Queen Beatrix hosting a State Dinner for King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan. source: Dutch Royal House

In 1984, the palace was reopened as the working palace of the monarchy, housing Queen Beatrix’s offices as well as the Royal Court. It also became the site of many official and State functions, including many State dinners for visiting Heads-of-State.

King Willem-Alexander has continued the tradition, maintaining his offices at Noordeinde while living elsewhere. It is at Noordeinde where the King meets with foreign ambassadors as well as holds many official and State functions.

Each year, on Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day, also known as Budget Day), the Sovereign travels by coach from Noordeinde Palace to open the Dutch Parliament and give the speech from the throne. Following their return to the palace, the Sovereign and members of the Royal House appear on the balcony overlooking the palace square to greet the crowds below.

Learn more about the other Dutch Royal Residences here!

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.