Palace Huis Ten Bosch, The Hague

[Duc_et_Pair]

To my best knowledge there are already "openslaande deuren" to the garden, at the backside of Huis ten Bosch Palace. There is a platform or balcony between the souterrain and the "ground floor" (which is more the first floor) if my memory does not fool me.

[Marengo]

Indeed, but the king said they would be installed in their private appartments on the groundfloor. I suppose that the private area will be in a wing of the palace, as it was the case with Queen Beatrix.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Ach ja, as long as it is tastefully done and completely in line with the exterior of the monument, I am fine with it. After all it is also a house for the royal family, and no museum ;-)

[Marengo]

True, perhaps a few personal touches makes the building even more interesting in the long run. The added doors in the Oranjesael by Cateau Schimmelpenninck seemed to have survived the test of time...

[An Ard Ri]

Some Recent photos of the work being carried out at the Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague.

PPE Agency

[Duc_et_Pair]

The palace will be in sparkling state, that is for sure (but it never looked in poor state, I must say). In WWII the park was completely destroyed as it was used by the Germans to launch VI and VII missiles to the United Kingdom. As a consequence the allied forces regularly bombed the site, with heavy damage to palace and park.

Picture of the completely destroyed park, with bunkers, and a damaged Huis ten Bosch.

In the 1950's a provisoric garden was created: picture.

Today still the same lay-out exists, but of course the trees have grown.: picture.

I have understood also the garden will be restored/restyled, whatever the name. I am curious how that will look. A return to a formal garden à la Het Loo looks unlikely to me.

[eya]

The renovation of the Palace continue. Two aerial pictures from August 23

https://0.t.cdn.belga.be/belgaimage:...d05&m=ocmmllha
https://2.t.cdn.belga.be/belgaimage:...d05&m=cddfcdnn

Yes when the Palace is ready about the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019.

[Blog Real]

Will the Kings live in this palace?

[Marengo]

It seems that the garden will be rather modern. At least if the flower beds on the left of the photo are meant to stay.

[Duc_et_Pair]

The restoration of Huis ten Bosch will be more expensive again. The original budget was 35 million Euro. Then it became 59 million Euro. Now it has been set on 63 million Euro.

Reasons: initially only parts of the palace outdoor steps would be replaced, now the whole exterior steps will be completely renewed. The same with the roof: initially parts of the roof would be replaced, but by hindsight the whole roof will be renewed as there is woodrot in beams bearing the roof. There needs to be more asbestos removed than initially expected. Closer inspection learned that some stucco works needs more attention than initially foreseen etc.

Luckily the economy is booming and the State has a Budget Surplus, so there is not that much rumour about the astronomic costs for the private residence of the King. It remains a mystery that a palace which had been extensively restored in the 1980's needs such an immense operation again.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

It remains a mystery that a palace which had been extensively restored in the 1980's needs such an immense operation again.

I was thinking the same thing as I read your post. The palace was renovated not that long ago so why this need for a new massive renovation so soon? Only reason I can think of is that they messed up last time and for instance closed of any possibilities of natural ventilation leading to moist & rot in the structure of the house.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by JR76

I was thinking the same thing as I read your post. The palace was renovated not that long ago so why this need for a new massive renovation so soon? Only reason I can think of is that they messed up last time and for instance closed of any possibilities of natural ventilation leading to moist & rot in the structure of the house.

According the site of the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (State Estate Agency) there was no restoration in the 1980's.

In WWII the park of Huis ten Bosch was used by the Germans as a launch base for V1 and v2 missiles directed at England. Retaliating raids heavily damaged the park and the building. Picture of Huis ten Bosch at the end of the war. You can see the bunkers in the park.

From 1948 until 1957 the damages to the park and the building were repaired.

From 1977 to 1981 there were "modernization of installations" (so no lentghy restoration as often thought) = picture

From 1998 to 2001 the Oranjesael (picture) was restored

From 2016 to 2019 Huis ten Bosch is undergoing major maintenance as well restoration works: picture.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by eya

The renovation of the Palace continue. Two aerial pictures from August 23

http://0.t.cdn.belga.be/belgaimage:1...d05&m=ocmmllha
http://2.t.cdn.belga.be/belgaimage:1...d05&m=cddfcdnn

I have never expected the renovation of the palace to be só costly. Together with the restoration of the Oranjesael (11 million) the whole project will have cost 74 million Euro. In essence for just a relatively little palace. ( ).

Soon the restoration works will start for the Inner Court complex (picture), which is budgetted on no less than 500 million Euro. ( )

[Marengo]

I suppose they are not renovating the Hall of Knights, as that was done a few years ago? The Orange Hall is the most elaborate interior of the country, The Inner Court has nothing that can be compared to it.

It would not be surprising if the costs for the Inner Court will also exceed the budget. It always does.. .

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I suppose they are not renovating the Hall of Knights, as that was done a few years ago? The Orange Hall is the most elaborate interior of the country, The Inner Court has nothing that can be compared to it.

It would not be surprising if the costs for the Inner Court will also exceed the budget. It always does.. .

But what is Huis ten Bosch? The Oranjesael with some state rooms in the central part, the original 17th C building. Plus two wings with beautiful salons, private appartments, guestrooms and that is it.

Huis ten Bosch is relatively small but maybe the quality is so exceptional. Anyway, everything connected with the Royal House (the maintenance of Huis ten Bosch, of De Groene Draeck, of the Glass- and the Golden State Coach, of a quay and a fence in Greece, or a pied-à-terre for Princess Beatrix, or the new airplane: all of these with unbelievable prize tags. I have a heart for the monarchy, but indeed: seeing these spendings, no wonder the Dutch Royal House is one of the most expensive...

[JR76]

When there is no incitament to keep prizes down there's no need to. I was at a student association budget meeting yesterday and the constant overspending by the administration is horrendous but there's no incitament to save because nobody tells them too. Maybe it's the same with the Oranjees? Nobody has told them to economize so the thought that they should be more careful with their spending hasn't occurred to them.
I'm not familiar with how the debate is in the Netherlands but if it had been in any other European monarchy constant overspending would've been a disaster PR-wise. Are all these houses and palaces paid for by the Royal house or by a Government agency?

[Duc_et_Pair]

By coincidence I learned that from 1959 until 1980 former Prime Minister, Captain-at-Sea (Ret) Petrus Jozef Sietse ("Piet") de Jong lived at the 's-Gravenhaagse Bos 12 in The Hague. That is one of the staff houses in the park of Huis ten Bosch Palace.

Picture

"Strange, for a Prime Minister, to live in a grace-and-favour house of the Queen" was my thought. I learned that Captain-at-Sea De Jong was an Aide-de-Camp to the Queen before he became State Secretary for the Navy (1959-1963), Minister of Defense (1963-1967) and Prime Minister (1967-1971).

Apparently the Queen offered the staff house to her Aide-de-Camp but did not evict him when he ended that function. In 1980 the former Prime Minister moved to Park Marlot in The Hague.

Picture - Captain-at-Sea P.J.S. de Jong leaving Soestdijk Palace - in his time as Aide-de-Camp to Queen Juliana.

[An Ard Ri]

The Palace restoration is due to be completed later this year ,is there any news on a possible finish date?

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

The Palace restoration is due to be completed later this year ,is there any news on a possible finish date?

It is in the planning that the King moves to Huis ten Bosch at the end of this year.

The natural hardstone has been removed from the outside stairs and will be replaced with new hardstone (picture)

This was the 17th C hardstone, cracks are visible (picture)

The dome of Huis ten Bosch is completely covered in scaffoldings (picture)

The copper tiles of the dome have been removed because the woodwork of the dome will be renewed (picture)

The stucco in the Marot Chamber: the cracks have been "crabbed out" and will be refilled with new stucco (picture)

Detail of the stucco in the Chinese Salon, already cleaned (picture)

Also the tympanums are in restoration (picture)

New copper rain gutters for the building (picture)

The 1970's climate control is removed from the 17th C building (picture)

Bad parts of the fundaments are drilled away (picture)

Replacement of bad parts (picture)

Wood rot in some of the 17th C beams (picture)

It will be a lot of work before Huis ten Bosch will be ready again (picture)

[Susan D]

The Huis ten Bosch work must be costing a fortune! Would it be better to tear down and build new?