King/Grand Duke Willem II (1792-1849), Queen Anna Paulowna (1795-1865) and family

[Marengo]

The Russian influence soon became visable with King Willem II. Unlike hios frugal father Willem II liked to show off his wealth. For his enthronement he ordered this new throne and he also ordered a new (fake) crown/religia.

[Marengo]

In 1824-1825 Princess Anna went back to visit her relatives in St. Petersburg. One of her ladies in waiting, Countess Cornelie van Wassenaer van Obdam kept a diary during this journey. The diary was recently published. More information in Dutch can be found here.

The book also appeared in english. At Amazon they still have it for example.

[Marengo]

King Wiollem II had an enormous collection of Art. Sadly after his death his widow had to sell most of it to her brother, Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, as the King made large debts. So most of the Dutch masters that are shown at the Hermitage in St. petersburg today came to Russia through this way.

Read more about the art collection of King Willem II here: Hoogsteder Journal 11 | The Fortunes of a Royal Painting

[Marengo]

Several things were named after King Willem II and his wife.

There is the Paulownia plant for example. But also the village and polder of Anna Paulowna in Noord Holland.

The footballclub in Tilburg received the name of the only Dutch King who ever lived and died there, so it is named Willem II.

[Marengo]

A sketch of Queen Anna visiting a orphenage.

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Below: Queen Anna and some of her Russian relatives in Zaandam, in the small house where Peter the Great learnt all about shipbuilding:

[Marengo]

I wonder if anybody knows which paintings of Rembrandt and other Dutch masters were owned by King Willem II and sold by Queen Anna to her brother Tsar Nicholas I? Are they all shown in the Hermitage?

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I wonder if anybody knows which paintings of Rembrandt and other Dutch masters were owned by King Willem II and sold by Queen Anna to her brother Tsar Nicholas I? Are they all shown in the Hermitage?

Not exactly sold Marengo,as Willem II has enormous debts/in debted millions to his brother-in-law the Tsar,Anna Pavlovna could do little else then just hand them over to straighten out the debts,over twenty of the most precious paintings by the master went to the Hermitage this way.
The State Hermitage Museum: Collection Highlights

The Dutch Crown,ordered by King Willem II:
[DNF] Fotoarchief Denieuwsfoto

Courtesy PPE/Nieboer.

[Marengo]

So most Dutch masters of the Hermitage came from Anna's 'donation'? I was wondering if they also still had some Dutch masters left from what they confiscated from the Nazi's?
A pity they left the country, and all that is left of Willem II's spendthrift nature here is another crown with fake stones and a ghastly palace in Tilburg .

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

So most Dutch masters of the Hermitage came from Anna's 'donation'? I was wondering if they also still had some Dutch masters left from what they confiscated from the Nazi's?
A pity they left the country, and all that is left of Willem II's spendthrift nature here is another crown with fake stones and a ghastly palace in Tilburg .

Tilburg,Anna Pavlovna loathed the p(a)lace,she remained at Soestdijk,but was at the Kings side when he died,unexpectedly,in Tilburg.

And there's the Gothic Hall,now in use by the Council of State,across from Noordeinde Palace ofcourse,where most of the paintings now in the Hermitage where adorning the walls.Also the venue where their daughter Sofie married.
Neo Gotische Gallerij

Courtesy Chris Schram's wonderfull site.

[Marengo]

Apparently the King also created the neo-gothic gallery, next to the Gothic hall. As nobody dared to tell the King that architecture wasn't one of his talents, the structure was so bad that it broke down 20 years later.

[Marengo]

A closer view of Queen Anna and some of her pearls:

[Marengo]

For those who speak Dutch, a lot of information about King Willem II, his wife etc. can be found on this site.

[Marengo]

King Willem II, aka the hero of Waterloo, in a heroic portrait:

[Marengo]

I just read in 'Rites of Piece' by Adam Zamoyski that Tsar Alexander I had the plan to let his sister marry the Duke of Berry, and put them on the throne of France (The Tsar didn't hold Louis XVIII in high regard). when Napoleon was defeated and the powers were wondering who should be on the french throne.
Before this it was actually Napoleon who asked for Anna's hand but Alexander refused.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

So most Dutch masters of the Hermitage came from Anna's 'donation'? I was wondering if they also still had some Dutch masters left from what they confiscated from the Nazi's?
A pity they left the country, and all that is left of Willem II's spendthrift nature here is another crown with fake stones and a ghastly palace in Tilburg .

The Palace in Tilburg.Has been in use as town hall for decades.
dutch castles and palaces

please scroll down to "visit all dutch royal palaces",then,scroll down again a little....

Courtesy Caroline Raat.

[Marengo]

Some images I found on royalehuwelijken.web-log.nl , free of copyrights:

The couple:



The first meeting of Willem & Anna:



Here a highly flattering statue of Queen Anna, in the garden of the Czar Peter House in Zaandam.

[lucien]

I didn´t even know there was one untill I saw an article at Royalblog.

The Opera on Willem II and Anna Pavlovna by the Souvenir Musictheater productions Foundation won the Prize for Amateur Art 2009.

The Opera will be performed from november 26th till 29th 2009 at Theaters Tilburg.

King Willem II stayed in Tilburg regurarly and died there in 1849.

[Tezz_mission]

Originally Posted by Marengo

The couples second son was Prince Willem Alexander Frederik Constantijn Nicolaas Michiel (Soestdijk Palace 2 Aug 1818- Mantua [per one source] or Madeira [per another] 20 Feb 1848). He was considered one of the marriage candidates for Queen Victoria of Great Britain, but he sadly died too young, due to a cold that he acquired when a tree fell on his coach and he had to walk (that was the strory at least).

Prince Alexander died of Tuberculosis at Funchal, Madeira. He went there because the dry climate would benefit his health. He indeed had an accident with a tree branch around 1830, but it fell on top of him instead of the coach. He had health problems ever since (also because he dieted and exercised to the extreme to stay thin).

[Tezz_mission]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Mixed family portraits (I): Paintings of Prince Willem (later King Willem III) and Prince Alexander.

This is a portrait of Wiwill and Maurits, the eldest sons of William III and Sophie, made around 1846

[lucien]

Antique print in my collection.Pic made by me.


HM King Willem II