Noordeinde 66, The Hague

[xxPatrickxx]

Office 'palace' Noordeinde66 From Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima

[Marengo]

The Prince of Orange has sold his office on Noordeine 66 (next to the palace) to the state last year. The Prince bought the house in the early 90-ties from his grandmother Queen Juliana for 750.000 guilders (approx 340.000 euros). He sold it for 3.250.000 euros to the state, who will use the building to locate the security of the palace. Note that he sold it at least 500.000 below the estimated value!

I wonder where the Prince, Maxima an their staff will put their offices now, I suppose in the main building of Noordeinde palace, maybe the Prince will use the office of his late father?

Picture of Noordeinde 66

Some articles in Dutch:

RTL Nieuws

Algemeen Dagblad

Telegraaf

Volkskrant

[sgl]

Interesting. I think that it is nice that he sold the building below value to the state.

[lucien]

At least 500.000,as it would do a whole lot more then that on the market.

Alexander speeched at the opening of AfricaSan 2008,Durban,South Africa today,by video that is:
Het Koninklijk Huis

[Verde Esmeralda]

Why was this sale even necessary?

[Marengo]

It wasn't necesairy at all, but maybe the Prince wants to use/invest the money elsewhere. His offices will probably be removed to Palace Noordeinde, which makes sense as he, his wife and the Queen seem to work as a team, like the Queen used to do with Prince Claus. Anyway, the house stays a part of the Palace-complex, so it is a good deal for the RF too.

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by Marengo

It wasn't necesairy at all, but maybe the Prince wants to use/invest the money elsewhere. His offices will probably be removed to Palace Noordeinde, which makes sense as he, his wife and the Queen seem to work as a team, like the Queen used to do with Prince Claus. Anyway, the house stays a part of the Palace-complex, so it is a good deal for the RF too.

how far is from where he lives? too much driving?

[Princess Maxima]

Originally Posted by ashelen

how far is from where he lives? too much driving?

You mean from Eikenhorst to Noordeinde?

[Marengo]

From Eikenhorst to Noordeinde should be 15 to 20 minutes, if traffic isn't jammed. Though I recall once that I was driving on that road (Rijksstraatweg) and saw flashing police lights behind me and the police ordered us to go to the side and they drove with some AA cars through red light and stuff. So I guess if they are in a hurry they can make it in 10 minutes

[LadyK]

maybe this is a dumb question, but what is an AA car?

[Marengo]

All the official cars of the RF have a numberplate starting with the letters AA, followed by two numbers. So the cars are sometimes referred to as AA cars.

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by Marengo

From Eikenhorst to Noordeinde should be 15 to 20 minutes, if traffic isn't jammed. Though I recall once that I was driving on that road (Rijksstraatweg) and saw flashing police lights behind me and the police ordered us to go to the side and they drove with some AA cars through red light and stuff. So I guess if they are in a hurry they can make it in 10 minutes

thank you so much for your asnwer, yes i suppose they have the power to arrive where they want in the time they need or want!

[lucien]

Originally Posted by ashelen

thank you so much for your asnwer, yes i suppose they have the power to arrive where they want in the time they need or want!

It is not so much about having the power to do so,but also a safety precaution,as in this way they are not an easy target to any fool.
God forbid.

[Marengo]

The Socialist Party (SP) asked questions in parlament about the purchase of Noordeinde by the state. The party tries to manilulate the public feelings by insinuating that the price of the house has gone up 815% in these 15 years while normal houses inb The Hague went up 146% The party failed to acknowledge that the Prince was able to purchase the house considerably below the marketprice, as he bought it from his grandmother, and that he sold the building under the marketprice too.

The party also suggested that the purchase was not neccessairy but the minister of Interior Affairs proved them wrong, apparently it was on the advice of the National Anti-Terrorism Coordinator that the building was purchased by the state!

Source: royalblog

[Marengo]

And for those who can read Dutch, the awnsers of Minister Ella Vogelaar on the questions raised in parlament:


http://www.vrom.nl/get.asp?file=docs...2008020778.doc

courtesy: Nienke at ATR

[lucien]

The house was sold to the government on the advice of the NTCb,the national coordinator in the fight against terrorism.

To easy an object to attack by those creeps.

Was on Royalblog/newspapers over a week ago.

Apropos Marengo amigo,the link you posted doesn't work.
Ciao!

[Marengo]

The Socialist Party is asking more questions about the matter. Now they are asking the minister if the state owns any other properties near Noordeinde (so I suppose a 3rd round of questions will be coming too, as they probably want to know why the security could not be located in the other buildings that the state aready owns)

A second set of questions is about if the state invested any money in the house over the last years. I suppose that when the awnser will be 'yes' they will make a point that why on earth the state still had to pay so much if they were the ones responsible for the increasing value in the first place.

In over-all the SP seem to have the impression that the state financed the prince's bank account.

source: royalblog

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

The Socialist Party is asking more questions about the matter. Now they are asking the minister if the state owns any other properties near Noordeinde (so I suppose a 3rd round of questions will be coming too, as they probably want to know why the security could not be located in the other buildings that the state aready owns)

A second set of questions is about if the state invested any money in the house over the last years. I suppose that when the awnser will be 'yes' they will make a point that why on earth the state still had to pay so much if they were the ones responsible for the increasing value in the first place.

In over-all the SP seem to have the impression that the state financed the prince's bank account.

source: royalblog

Boring lot.

Headed by that present day dutch version of a Maoist,Jantje ut Oss.Again,I am nice here.I really did my very best again....

[marine2109]

26-02-2014 Kantoor The new office of Princess Beatrix at the Nooreinde 66 in The Hague is under construction.

PPE Agency

[Marengo]

More info on Noordeinde 66:]

The house was bought by Queen Emma and is connected to the palace, in the 50-ties the faith healer / our own Rasputin, Greet Hofmans lived there. In the 1993 Juliana sold it for a mere 750.000 guilders (340.000 euros) to her grandson, the present King. The state paid for the restauration and improvements as WA used it as his house. It raised eyebrows at the time as 1) the place was undervalued, (was this a way to avoid death duties on a future inheritance?) 2) the costs for the restauration were for the state; and why does a 25 y/o need such a big place -625 m2- in the first place and 3) the renovations included a new roof terrace for which they didn't have the proper permits.

WA lived there between 1995-2003. After he moved to Wassenaar the place was empty. He sold it to the state for 3,25 million euros (!!!) -still slightly under market value- in 2008. At the time it was said that the securioty offices would be located there. However, since Beatrix moved to Lage Vuursche they now want to reconvert a part of it into an appartment for the former queen. During this move some technical installations need to be replaced and the interior needs to be adapted, which comes at a price of 900.000 euros.

The labour party and the socialist party have asked questions in parlament about the matter:

Kamer eist uitleg over dure verbouwing optrekje Beatrix - AD.nl

According to the NOS we still get a cheap deal, as Beatrix lives in her own castle and not in a castle that was provided by the state -like Soestdijk for Juliana- . According article 4 of the financial statute for the royal house it says that the state can be responsible for the housing of a former monarch. But I don't find it surprising that some find the dealings a bit fishy TBH.

Weblog Evenementen » Blog Archief » Het Haagse paleisje van prinses Beatrix

Note that an article posted says that also Huis ten Bosch will need an 'thorough renovation and modernisation' before the king and his family can move in. I assume that the costs of that will be tens of millions.