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European RoyalsThe Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander and family move into Huis ten Bosch

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Her Majesty Queen Máxima and their three daughters officially moved into Huis ten Bosch in The Hague today. Early this morning, the royal standard was raised over the palace. The Huis ten Bosch Palace is one of the three palaces made available by the state to the Royal Family. The others are Noordeinde Palace in The Hague and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. It will be used as their residence but also for officials receptions.

King Willem-Alexander’s mother, former Queen Beatrix left the palace in 2014, and it has been undergoing renovations since then. During these renovations, the palace’s most famous hall was briefly open to the public. The Orange Hall was designed by Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, the widow of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange who hired architect-painters Jacob van Campen and Pieters, and also artists such as Gerard van Honthorst to fill the hall with painting glorifying the life of the late Prince of Orange.

By Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The palace passed through several hands over the years, including the King of Prussia and various stadtholders. When King William I of the Netherlands was officially proclaimed in 1815, he made Huis ten Bosch one of his official residences. During the First World War, it was the primary residence of Queen Wilhelmina. During the Second World War, the Nazi administration planned to demolish the building. Fortunately, this never happened but it was damaged. After being renovated between 1950 and 1956, it once again became a royal residence.

There are still some smaller renovations to be done, but these can be done while the family is in residence. These last renovations are expected to be completed by the spring of 2019.