Dutch Royal Carriages, Cars, Ships and Airplanes

[marine2109]

26-02-2014 The Hague New car for King Willem-Alexander.
An AUDI A8 W12 Limousine, colour Blue and an estimate value of 350.000 euro of the RemetzCar company.
Bullitprove glass, bar and 10.2 inch LCD tv screen.
Weight 3.725 kilo.
Length 5.715 meter.
6.3 liter engine and a W12 motor with 500 HorsePower and 625Nm..

[DNF] Fotoarchief Denieuwsfoto

[Duc_et_Pair]

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will replace all planes constructed by Royal Fokker Aircraft. This Dutch company still exists but does no longer construct complete aricrafts, it is now specialized in space technology, in aircraft maintenance and in development and construction of advanced components for the Joint Strike Fighter Jets.

This means that for the first time in history, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will fly no longer with Dutch-made airplanes. The last Fokker 70's and Fokker 100's will leave the fleet and be replaced by 15 Embraer E175+ planes, 30 Embraer E190 planes and optional 15 of these more. These Embraers (made in Brazil) will form the heart of the new fleet for mid-range distances ("city hoppers") of KLM.

Why is this news in this forum? The Royal House flies with a Fokker 70. The plane is under maintenance by KLM and is operated by pilots from KLM. The Government has announced that because all Fokkers leave the fleet, a new plane will be purchased. No formal decision has been made yet but it is in the line of logic that -for reasons of efficiency, costs and maintenance- it will be an Embraer too.

The present plane, the ph-KBX (Koningin BeatriX)

The future plane, possibly named the ph-KWA (Koning Willem-Alexander), will of course have another colour scheme and striping

The price of a standard Embraer E190 is around 40 millon Euro. It is expected that the plane which will used for the Royal House will have the necessary modifications, with an effect on the prize tag.



It seems Fokker still constructs aircrafts, that means: the existing Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 blueprints are used but with lower airframe, 20% lighter materials, increased fuel capacity and new generation Rolls-Royce engines, isobar winglets on the wings and other modifications.

It seems Fokker has competed with other aircraft manufacturers but KLM choose for the Brazilean manufacturer Embraer to replace the Fokker fleet. Possibly because Embraer already delivered 45 planes to Air France (with which KLM forms one company) and this had a positive effect on the prize tag for another 45 Embraers to be delivered to KLM.

I hope that a choice will be made for the Fokker 100 NG (New Generation). The King should always arrive with a Dutch-made airplane, I think. According Wikipedia (I know, I know...) the USA (Boeing), Russia (Ilyushin), France (Airbus), the United Kingdom (BAe) and the Netherlands (Fokker) are the only countries which have self designed, built, operated and maintenanced the official plane used by the head of state.... The first Fokker 100 NG will be presented later this year, I understood. Maybe that was also a problem for KLM: they want to be sure that the new planes can be constucted in large quantities (45 to begin with) and absolutely trustworthy and operational for daily flights. The plane used by the King, of course has another frequency of use and also does not need to fly 100 or 120 passengers, again and again and again.

The present Fokker 70 used by the King

The Fokker 120 New Generation but the King will hopefully use the smaller Fokker 100 NG

[Duc_et_Pair]

After coming Prinsjesdag (the annual Address from the Throne on the Third Tuesday of September) the Golden State Carriage will be taken out of royal service for three/four years. It will undergo an extensive restoration.

In the coming years the King will use the Glass State Carriage, which was recently finished in a long-years restoration and is in splendid state again.

The Golden State Carriage which will go out of service: see picture.

The Glass State Carriage which will be used instead: see picture.

[Jacknch]

Thanks for the update Duc - I will miss the Golden State Carriage whilst it is out of service, but the Glass State Carriage is certainly grand enough for the King and Queen as a temporary measure!

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

After coming Prinsjesdag (the annual Address from the Throne on the Third Tuesday of September) the Golden State Carriage will be taken out of royal service for three/four years. It will undergo an extensive restoration.

In the coming years the King will use the Glass State Carriage, which was recently finished in a long-years restoration and is in splendid state again.

The Golden State Carriage which will go out of service: see picture.

The Glass State Carriage which will be used instead: see picture.

It must be an artisans wet dream to restore such a carriage.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Jacknch

Thanks for the update Duc - I will miss the Golden State Carriage whilst it is out of service, but the Glass State Carriage is certainly grand enough for the King and Queen as a temporary measure!

Yes Jack I agree,the Glass carriage is splendid but I will miss the sheer magnificence of the Golden State Carriage.

[Duc_et_Pair]

The stablemaster, Colonel Gilbert E. Wassenaar (Royal Marechaussee) stated to the media that wood shrinks and expands when it is wet or dry. It was normal, in old days, that farmers would throw wagon wheels into a well or canal, to soaken it and to let the wood expand.

That is why the carriages of the Royal House are stored in climate controlled stables. But what is good for the wood (moist) is not good for the vulnerable interiors of the carriages. Too moist surroundings will cause mould or moths on the precious textiles.

Too dry surroundings or sunlight will also cause precious lacquer paint to show craquelé. On this picture you see how splendid the lacquer paint of the Glass State Carriage from 1821 looks again, thanks to the skilled craftsmen. It is so polished that it almost looks like metallic paint. Yes, it is a dream for craftsmen.

Before the Glass State Carriage also a few Gala Berlines (see picture) were brought in splendid state as well the Crème Calèche (see picture). Note the difference between the sparkling new gold on the restored carriage and the old gold on the Golden State Carriage next to it. It will be spectacular when the carriage will have new gold!

[Muhler]

I could easily spend a couple of hours walking around these carriages simply admiring the craftsmanship - and kicking the wheels.
They are almost as sexy as steam locomotives.

[eya]

On the other Muhler i would like to go ride in these carriages especially with Crème Calèche. Can i ?

[An Ard Ri]

The Dutch royal carriages form part of the ’Horsepower and Cars’ Exhibition at at the National Museum palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn.

PPE

PPE Agency


Gallery 2

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?z...15%20Apeldoorn

[Duc_et_Pair]

The ceremonial royal barge has been splendidly restored and is back in an annex to the building of the former Naval Arsenal (now shipping museum) in Amsterdam. The royal barge is not only restored for museal purposes, it can be used again if it pleases His Majesty to make use of it.

The bow of the royal barge: picture

The stern of the royal barge: picture

Neptune in gold: picture

The royal barge projected on the former Naval Arsenal: picture

Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard in the royal barge: picture

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Muhler

I could easily spend a couple of hours walking around these carriages simply admiring the craftsmanship - and kicking the wheels.
They are almost as sexy as steam locomotives.

Does any European monarchy besides the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden still keep horse-drawn carriages in use ?

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Does any European monarchy besides the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden still keep horse-drawn carriages in use ?

Spain keeps horsedrawn carriages in use but the King seldom or never makes use of it. These carriages are used for ambassadors:

An ambassador arrives at the Royal Palace in Madrid: picture So to see this is a coupé (a two seater). In the Netherlands a gala berline (here a picture with coachmen in winter tenue) is used, followed by some standard carriages.

[Marengo]

The barge has been made in 1818 and has only been used 23 times. According to the director of the museum, the barge can still be used and he hopes that it will.

Blauw Bloed has a video in colour of the barge, with Q. Juliana, P. Bernhard, Pss. Beatrix and Pss. Irene:

'De Gouden koets van het water' - Blauw Bloed (scroll down for the video)

[Marengo]

The restauration of the golden carriage will cost 1.2 million euros and will take 7 year. This news was announces by stable master Bert Wassenaar. The costs will be paid by the budget of the King.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Why is it that everything connected with the Royal House costs a gigantic fortune? The Royal House can buy 30 brand new gala state berlines (picture) for the renovation costs of the Glass State Carriage and the Golden State Carriage (2,4 million Euro).

At the other side, good that the Royal House is so precize with the patrimonium and good that the King manages to pay it from his own budget.

[CyrilVladisla]

The Dutch Royal Barge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7o1IzsKNLQ

[lucien]

I payed a visit there to see the barge a week ago,and it is in excellent condition as it is beautifully restored and ready to set to the waters if HM wishes so.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Yesterday in the program Blauw Bloed, that soft egg, Jeroen Snel, was mumbling all the time about the costs of restorations of the carriages and the incomes of the Royal House ("How much will their pay-rise be?") while he should have known that the incomes are following the general indexation for civil servants.

Pieter Klein Beernink, the political commentator of De Telegraaf, said it pretty good: "These carriages are works of art. The Rijksmuseum regularly purchases and restores works of art costing far more than this." Some politicians say: "Phew... 1,2 million for a carriage?" Focusing on the means of transportation. Wrong. It is 1,2 million for an eye-catching work of art.

It would not surprise Pieter Klein Berrnink when the King will continue to use the beautiful Glass State Carriage (picture) for Prinsjesdag. Reason: from Willem I to Queen Wilhelmina, this carriage has been used for Prinsjesdag. It is the oldest functional royal state carriage, from the earliest period of the Kingdom. It is therefore the "most historically correct" carriage, an aspect that will speak to the imagination of historian Willem-Alexander.

[wartenberg7]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

It would not surprise Pieter Klein Berrnink when the King will continue to use the beautiful Glass State Carriage (picture) for Prinsjesdag. Reason: from Willem I to Queen Wilhelmina, this carriage has been used for Prinsjesdag. It is the oldest functional royal state carriage, from the earliest period of the Kingdom. It is therefore the "most historically correct" carriage, an aspect that will speak to the imagination of historian Willem-Alexander.

Hope that too. This is what comes the Golden State Coach the closest. And it was also restored and refurbished not long ago.

When it comes to the criticism about the costs about the restoration of the golden coach I can only say that it is some sort of a dutch national treasure, a"monument" familiar to so many generations by the dutch people and is a vehicle for the nation itself, not only for the King and Queen! And you wouldn´t let a national building rot down to pieces, would you? I think it isn´t any different here.
The historic impact of the GSC, both in its royal but also its critical aspects, is huge and must certainly be conserved!