The Royal Palace, Amsterdam

[Tina]

Paleis op de Dam - Amsterdam

 

[Janet]

I returned yesterday from a short break in the Netherlands with my husband.

As you can imagine I tried to fit in as much royalty as possible.

I was not very impressed by Amsterdam in general but the royal palace is much
better in reality than it appears in photographs. I toured the palace in around two hours
and was very impressed, the main hall is incredible. My favourite part though was the
video that we got to see. It showed the development of the palace and obviously
showed important events in history such as the abdication of Queen Juliana. We saw
short clips as Beatrix signed the official documents and turned to her mother and
Juliana held on to her daughter’s hand. Beatrix looked very moved.

There was more clips of Beatrix and I must say my impression of her has changed
quite considerably. Watching her in motion, she appears an incredibly vibrant, friendly
looking and alive woman, which doesn’t really come across in photographs. The
dresses she wore during the video were awful though.

There was a brief clip of Prince Claus celebrating the year of European Music in the
roof of the Amsterdam Palace and several of the audience (I assume they were Dutch)
sighed sadly!

I must say though all the Dutch people we meet were incredibly nice and helpful and I
must admit some shame at how amazingly well everyone spoke English, when ever I
go abroad it always makes me feel ashamed that so many people speak my language
and I can barely string a few sentences together without the assistance of a guide book.

 

[TODOI]

Does the Queen ever stay in the palace or does she just have receptions and banquets there then leave???

also what are the other rooms like I always see pictures of the big hall and the other halls but never the rooms has anyone got any pictures of any other rooms from the Palace???

 

[The Watcher]

Sometimes she stay in the Royal Palace (like when the Spanish King and Queen visited the Netherlands) but that didn't happen often. The other times that she visits the palace is only for receptions and banquets etc. and then she goes home, to Huis ten Bosch in The Hague.

When you go to the official site of the Royal Family, you can make a Virtual Tour, that enables you to view the Royal Palace(s).

Site of the Royal Family

 

[Alexandria]

Are there any more pictures of Amsterdam Royal Palace?

Have there been any recent receptions or banquets hosted here?

 

[ropura]

Dear Alexandria,

I sent you a photo from the Royal Palace of Amsterdam,I hope you like at.

This is the hall of the Royal Palace from Amsterdam,where Queen Beatrix gift Banquet for the Royal guest.

In the winter time is the Palace very cold,because the hall is from marmer stones.
If the Queen gift (New Year reception) its takes view days to make the marmer hall warm,before she come to the Palace for the "New Year" reception.

(More picture below)

-ropura-

Photo by Rosiati Ismangil.

 

[Marengo]

I have visited the palace only 3 weeks ago. Like the main hall the rest of the palace also contains lots and lots of marble. As it was a cityhall originally some statues are a bit awkward. Downstairs for example you have a room where deathcentences were spokn out, with some marble skeletons etc. On the same level of the big hall there are about 20 rooms, some of them big, some of them smaller. It includes the Moses and AAron room where Queen Juliana signed her abdication and also the private apartments of King Louis Napoleon and Queen Hortense of Holland.

After a deathsentence the condemned was brought upstairs and was led to a special constructed wooden balcony where that person was hanged. The bacony was almost on the excact spot as where the present balcony is.

Lots of pictures of this palace (and a few others) on:

http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=5716

 

[ropura]

Door to the room from the hall.
Every room have differend color of chair,like- red -green-blue-purple ect.

Photo by R.Ismangil.

 

[ropura]

Royal Palace Amsterdam At The Summer time with exhibition - 2005
Photo nr.2: poster of Queen Beatrix at entrance of the Royal Palace
Photo nr.3 : Clock from Govern of central Java Indonesian ( with photo of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard)
Photo nr.4 : Little Royal Palace Amsterdam.
Photo ( 5 and 6 ) from the inside Palace window, the Dam Square,
("World War II Monument ")

And the birds (special the "Pigeon") like also the Royal Palace very much for their luxury home at the balcony !!!

Photo by R.Ismangil.

 

[ropura]

Royal flowers from Royal Palace of Amsterdam.



Photo by R.Ismangil.

 

[rchainho]

royal palce in amesterdam by google.earth

 

[Marengo]

Now some pictures of the Royal Palace on Dam square, Amsterdam. Again as posted by Thijs on the alexanderpalace forum.

The first picture is the former throne room:

Below the moses and aaron room of the palace. On the painting you can see Moses and the elderly. This is the room where the abdications of Wilhelmina and Juliana were signed.

 

[Marengo]

Two old pictures of the palace on Dam square around 1900. The first one is originally posted by Thijs, and the second one by Lucien (who also posts here). Both pictures came from the Alexanderpalace forum again.

Former throneroom:

 

[sesa]

Ropura & Marengo,
I personally want to thank you both for posting all these wonderful pictures. If it was not for you guys I would never be able to see this wonderful place.
Wouldn't it be amazing if walls could talk and the stories these rooms would be able to tell? the history and the beauty of this palace is truely amazing to me.
thanks for taking the time to share such wonderful, beautiful information/pictures.

 

[Marengo]

I am afraid the walls of Dam palace would tell you some horrifying stories sesa, as there used to be a prison inside, some trials and even public executions.

 

[Marengo]

Pictures of The Royal Palace on Dam swuare in Amsterdam:
Amsterdam royal palace

 

[Henri M.]

Royal Palace Amsterdam to be in sparkling yellow/white again?

The Rijksgebouwendienst (State Housing Agency) has announced that it will investigate and consider a method to clean the exterior of the Royal Palace Amsterdam. See article.

The building, build in 1665, has an exterior in Bentheimer sandstone which uses to be yellowish/white.
But three and a half centuries of weather, pollution and climate have affected the exterior of the building and now it is a grey and sombre mammoth building. The dark exterior hides the many grand ornaments and does no longer justice to the elegance of this perfectly classicistic quadrangle building.

The interior is now undergoing a major renovation. Elevators are placed, the Queen has ordered 40 suites to be constructed on the 3rd floor.

The exterior was in fact not included but the people involved in the project apparently have changed their mind and want to bring it back in original state, if possible.

This is the exterior in original state.

This is the exterior now. It is dry weather. In winter, on dark and wet days, the building is really grey and gloomy.

 

[sesa]

Henri M,
Thank you for posting the information as well as the pictures. That would be wonderful if they could bring back at least some of the original color of the palace and restore it to it's original state. I'm sure over the centuries some of the stone and details have eroded away from the weather/pollution, but it would be great if they could at least get some of the color back. Costly too, I imagine. But hopefully something can be done to preserve it for the future generations to come.

 

[Marengo]

I am glad to hear they wll give the palace some colour back. Dam square is already one of the most grey squares I know, so some colour is appreciated. I wonder how long it will take though and when they will start/finish. At the moment MANY buildings in Amsterdam are under reconstruction. Add to that the metroline that they are digging through the center, not to attractive for tourists (at the moment).

 

[Marengo]

The Royal Palace on Dam square in Amsterdam will have its exterior cleaned. Apart from the cleaning the building will get new roofs, windows etc. It is estimated that this will tae 3.5 years and will cost an additional 41 million euros.

Source: Het Parool

 

[lucien]

HM The Queen will officially re-open the Royal Palace Amsterdam on saturday june 13th after its interior has been under extensive renovation and partial restauration for the last 3,5 years,it seems longer.....

Finally.

After the exterior is cleaned too,the Palace will be used again for State Visits but meanwhile exhibitions and other events will take place.

 

[lucien]

HM The Queen will officially re-open the Royal Palace Amsterdam on saturday june 13th after its interior has been under extensive renovation and partial restauration for the last 3,5 years,it seems longer.....

Finally.

After the exterior is cleaned too,the Palace will be used again for State Visits but meanwhile exhibitions and other events will take place.

Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam

 

[lucien]

HM The Queen will officially re-open the Royal Palace Amsterdam on saturday june 13th after its interior has been under extensive renovation and partial restauration for the last 3,5 years,it seems longer.....

Finally.

After the exterior is cleaned too,the Palace will be used again for State Visits but meanwhile exhibitions and other events will take place.

The Palace exterior is cleaned:

Koninklijk paleis in de steigers | Gespot

 

[Marengo]

Wow, that is fast. Considering everything seems to take a decade over here I expected it to take some time before they would start. I wonder how long the project is expected to take.

 

[lucien]

Wow, that is fast. Considering everything seems to take a decade over here I expected it to take some time before they would start. I wonder how long the project is expected to take.

They are busy on that,very busy indeed and I think that it will be clean before we know it.

Been in the Palace today and really,if not the Hermitage then this marvel is well worth the visit to Amsterdam.Beautifull,
just simply stunningly beautifull this Palace can stand the comparison with Palaces abroad,anywhere.Exquisite.
The fabrics used for the restauration,just everything,to the finest detail and those chandeliers in all their splendour
are a marvel indeed.Hard to imagine they were packed in pieces in boxes at the attick for decades,totally forgotten.
The ones in the Throne room,with the Arms of the Kingdom and the Dutch Lion's on them are so breathtakingly beautifull
as are the carpets throughout the Palace.

You will have to go see for yourdelf dear M,it is quite the change from the former huge "marble bathhouse",I used to call this Palace....

 

[Marengo]

I already visted both places and the palace has been improved tremendously indeed. I especially like all the chandeliers, unbelievable they were collecting dust on the attic.

Do you know if the bedrooms on the floor that is open to the public will be used for high guests? It seems there were doors to bathrooms and such in the rooms. Did you also notice the pictures they had of the 2nd or 3rd floor (it looked like a hotel)?

 

[Stefan]

I already visted both places and the palace has been improved tremendously indeed. I especially like all the chandeliers, unbelievable they were collecting dust on the attic.

Do you know if the bedrooms on the floor that is open to the public will be used for high guests? It seems there were doors to bathrooms and such in the rooms. Did you also notice the pictures they had of the 2nd or 3rd floor (it looked like a hotel)?

I visited it too and in the Audio Tour it was said that the bedrooms (don't remember if all) will be used for visiting Heads of State.

 

[lucien]

I visited it too and in the Augio Tour it was said that the bedrooms (don't remember if all) will be used for visiting Heads of State.

Not all indeed as the third floor has the appartments for the visiting Heads of State,13 of them as one was added to the original twelve....
obviously...The second and the 4th floor,mezzanine floors,have the rooms for the staff of both HM as well as the visiting Head of State.

I believe that what at present is still called the "secretary" room,was a bedroom in use by the late Queens Wilhelmina and Juliana,it is now
a bedroom again.

The 2nd and 4th floors indeed look like hotel corridors,but then a 5* + one.The beds there may be modern,but the chairs are part of the largest collection of Empire furniture outside France and still in situ at the orginal place they were made for by order of King Louis Napoléon by,initially,ateliers in Paris,but soon also by a dutch furniture atelier between 1808 and 1810.Beautifull.

Some of the chandeliers once adorned Queen Hortense's boudouir,but the large silver and platinum one,weighing over 700 kilo's and 3 meter high in what was the burgomaster's room initially,was ordered by King Willem III for Het Loo Palace but deemed not functional enough for that Palace.The chandelier was cleaned with chalk as it was in ruins and pieces,and blackened,on the attick,and that was when the platinum and ( goldplated-) silver was discovered,it also has superb quality christal adorning it,and much of it.An immense and immensily beautifull piece.

The two chandeliers in what is generally known as the "Mozesroom" venue of the signing of the Act of Abdication by Queen Juliana,but known also by its original name the Vroedscapskamer,were also ordered by King Willem III to adorn Het Loo Palace,but also quickly found their way to the Royal Palace here.All in all,a glittering,beautifull and warm Palace.I love the carpets,after an original 17th century design.

 

[lucien]

Peeking....

Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam

 

[Harold]

So the Palace in Amsterdam is used to house the Dutch Royals and visiting heads of state? I did not think it was used as a residence at all?