Palace Huis Ten Bosch, The Hague


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I think I like the DNA a little better now that I know it is more of an art piece than wallpaper. It isn't going to be my favorite but where there are rooms that had no original features due to war damage, it is nice to include something from a more recent time. It makes the palace seem more of a living entity than a time capsule. This is coming from someone who adores old buildings.


I don't like it. As I said before, it is out of place in a 17th century building. Besides, it is not even nice.
 
I don't like it. As I said before, it is out of place in a 17th century building. Besides, it is not even nice.

Because there are plenty of original salons and because it serves as s family home and because no historic or monumental patrimonium was destroyed, I can live with it. After all it will be the King's private house for 30 years to come.
 
If this was a "public palace" as in one that State visits etc would be held I think it would not be suitable but as it seems to be mainly for the family and a few audiences rather than State banquets I'm okay with it. I guess if they have the Royal Palace in Amsterdam and Noordeinde Palace which seem more "traditional" it adds something new and more modern into the mix. I don't know if these rooms have any historical significance in the same way, say the State room in Buckingham Palace do, if they don't I guess nothing important is being replaced so why not go more modern.
 
One wing is strictly the 'family home'; the other wing is more official. I don't think the press was allowed to see the family rooms, so all we saw was most likely somewhat work-related/official.
 
I think the DNA salon is a great success. Every guest has something to talk about. From a once one-in-a-dozen 1950's wallpaper to an unique wall decoration. The only thing which puts me off in this salon is the new upholstery of the furniture. The material and the colours are too plain for my liking. I think I would like it better with a more classic brocade upholstery.

The King showing the other King the DNA structures:
https://images.cdn.nouveau.nl/UNQx6...eau-royalty-felipe-willem-1.jpg?itok=aqc2BlzF

The Green Salon before, with the same furniture, looks old but was just new 1950's wall decoration and upholstery:
http://images.memorix.nl/naa/thumb/1280x1280/07004c3c-219c-4b46-8878-77d1c0374959.jpg

The Green Salon, now as the DNA-Salon, another, bigger chandelier replaces the former one, the furniture is the same:
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/W1KNHH/th...r-netherlands-out-point-de-vue-out-W1KNHH.jpg

The family portraits have not returned:
https://www.hethuisvanoranje.nl/18 Vorstelijke Verblijven/Huis ten Bosch/Groene Salon-03.jpg

Same door recognizable:
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/W1KNKN/th...r-netherlands-out-point-de-vue-out-W1KNKN.jpg
 
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I wonder why the family portraits were not back hung up?
 
:previous:

The portraits were moved to the yellow ballroom, upstairs. The ballroom was rather empty earlier on but has more portraits now, which looks nicer IMO.

The same portrait of the children of Stadholder Willem V, as in Duc's photo of the Green salon, now upstairs:

https://www.ppe-agency.com/preview.php?start=0&id=257788&zoektype=2&search=03-07-2019 Interior

I believe it used to be the Anglican Chapel for Anna of Hanover, Princess Royal & wife of Stadholder Willem IV - who enlarged the palace.
 
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That is interesting. I thought it was more like wallpaper. From a practical standpoint, I wouldn't want to have to dust the walls!:ermm:

Thr artist Jan-Jacob van der Beugel used 60.000 brickstones. Any brickstone was coded to reproduce the DNA of the King and Queen. I have mixed feelings about the unorthodox interior, but due to heavy damage in WWII, little is authentic in that salon: only the fireplace and the entrance doors with the grisailles above.

Making two DNA profiles, asking a producent to bake 60.000 brickstones, transport it to the palace and have the artist to fasten it to the walls (it is done on panels so that in the future it can be removed, if wished).... A truly costly interior but not in the Trump Tower style: no marble and no gold, bit certainly very costly.

I think a professional cleaning service will use the King's summer vacation to clean the DNA salon. They will need a reachtruck to have it done.
 
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:previous:

The portraits were moved to the yellow ballroom, upstairs. The ballroom was rather empty earlier on but has more portraits now, which looks nicer IMO.

The same portrait of the children of Stadholder Willem V, as in Duc's photo of the Green salon, now upstairs:

https://www.ppe-agency.com/preview.php?start=0&id=257788&zoektype=2&search=03-07-2019 Interior

I believe it used to be the Anglican Chapel for Anna of Hanover, Princess Royal & wife of Stadholder Willem IV - who enlarged the palace.


Yes, it was an empty yellow room. With the family portraits from the Green Salon and the beautiful porcelain it looks better now:
https://www.mmp.nl/handlers/getimagewatermark.ashx?imageid=453548252&res=hi

I like it that every occupant has added something. This tralala yellow salon was typical for the era of Willem IV and Anne of Great-Britain and Hannover. Not my taste but I like it that salon after salon a chapter is told in the history of the building.
 
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That is interesting. I thought it was more like wallpaper. From a practical standpoint, I wouldn't want to have to dust the walls!:ermm:

Nor would I and I'm still not sold on it and prefer something a little more classical.

It will probably cost a little more to clean and maintain and keep it looking fresh.
 
Nor would I and I'm still not sold on it and prefer something a little more classical.

It will probably cost a little more to clean and maintain and keep it looking fresh.

I understand what you mean. But of course there are wonderful salons with historic interiors. The salons which were heavily damaged in WWII and have no authentic interiors are the ones which gave the freedom to the royal family to have it decorated to their taste. Possibly a Queen Catharina-Amalia will have a total different idea, is tired of thr DNA and in these rooms she can create her own personal style.
 
Ofcourse everyone's tastes differ and mine don't like anything too modern in old buildings,maybe it will grow on me .
 
A 9-meter-high Christmas tree stands on the forecourt of Huis ten Bosch Palace!


The tree has been chopped in the Crown Domains around Het Loo Palace and transported to The Hague. It is for the first time in years that there is a tree again in front of Huis ten Bosch (because of renovation the building was empty indeed).
 
Ofcourse everyone's tastes differ and mine don't like anything too modern in old buildings,maybe it will grow on me .

As they said in Are you Being Served...It will ride with wear....
 
Because Huis ten Bosch Palace is now occupied, the finances of the municipality of The Hague sees some surge. The annual property tax assessment has been sent to Huis ten Bosch. The municipality assesses the building to be worth 44 million Euro. It is a bit of a "suck it out of the thumb value" because there is no comparison to similar properties in the same neighbourhood, which is usually a benchmark for municipal taxations.

Huis ten Bosch: picture

Noordeinde Palace (picture), also in The Hague, has an annual property tax assessment of more than 100 million Euro.
 
Who needs to pay the bill for this property? The 'Rijksvastgoedbedrijf'(State Housing Agency)? I never knew they had to pay taxes for their buildings.
 
Who needs to pay the bill for this property? The 'Rijksvastgoedbedrijf'(State Housing Agency)? I never knew they had to pay taxes for their buildings.

Yes, the owner, the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf, the State Real Estate Agency has to pay municipal taxes for the all real estate it owns. It must be a massive amount: military barracks, State forests, ministerial departments, courts of Justice, police stations, state highways, state-owned monuments, royal estates, name it all.

The King himself has to pay residential taxes like dogs licence fees, waste charges, water authority charges, etc.
 
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The portrait in the King's private office: Willem of Nassau, Prince of Orange (1533-1584) painted by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1567-1641).

Owner: the (family) Foundation Historic Collections of the House Orange-Nassau

https://www.koninklijkeverzamelingen.nl/collectie-online/detail/e8b4ed70-b66d-587a-8b7f-962f049beb9d
 
At least both rooms have one thing in common: their chandeliers seem to be the same.
 
Sometimes I see non-understanding about the modern interiors in Huis ten Bosch palace. Like the DNA Salon or the family library. But the palace has been extensively restored, from the lantern on the dome to the nature stone of the bordes (outside stairs). Dozens of specialists have restored the gilded ornaments, the stucco ceilings, the frescoes, the wallhangings, the antique furniture.

What is so modern, is the part of the palace which was heavily damaged during WWII. The new interiors replace interiors not older than 1950. The 17th C and 18th C salons have been restored with eye for detail. Nothing is destroyed: the building is a state patrmonium hors categorie and nothing can be changed in protected state halls, salons and rooms without experts having an opinion about it.
 
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