After you exit the Vestibule, you go into room #2, the Bentinck Room (behind the audio tour counter)
#2 Bentinck Room
which is named for Hans Willem Bentinck, the Duke of Portland. He was an advisor for Willem III. The ceiling with painted clouds and a frame of imitation marble is from the 17th century. The rest of the room is of the 19th century as it was later used by Sophie (sister of King Willem III) You can look into this room from the Vestibule, but you can't go into it.
From the Vestibule, you pass through the Old Dining Room #3 . This was the dining room of Stadtholder Willem III before he became King of England. A dining room was something new in the 17th century. People just ate wherever they were - if the Stadtholder said he wanted to eat, a table would be brought to him wherever he was.
Floor boards (and the edge of the carpet) Room #3 -Old Dining Room
Ceiling detail in the Old Dining Room (Room #3) - Old Dining Room
A characteristic of all the apartments of Willem and Mary are the wood carved door frames with oak and acanthus leaves.
Next was the New Dining Room. Because we were going around on our own (and I just took photos without stopping to read the signs), I did not appreciate the NEW Dining Room.
Het Loo Palace- The New Dining Room
Het Loo Palace - The New Dining Room
Willem III had Daniel Marot design this room in 1692. Daniel worked for King Louis XIV, but when Louis XIV made it a punishable offense to be Protestant, Daniel fled to Holland, and became the head decorator of Willem III. This room remained the royal dining room for many generations. Commoners were allowed to watch the King eat, and during important dinners there would be musicians. What I thought was most interesting were the dishes in the shape of birds with tail feathers - one with a peacock tail feathers, and one with pheasant feathers.
Het Loo Palace - The New Dining Room
Het Loo Palace- The New Dining Room
The chandelier is a copy that Queen Wilhelmina had made of a 17th century Andre-Charles Boulle gilded bronze chandelier so it would make the room reflect the era of Willem III.
Het Loo Palace - The New Dining Room
the tapestries were based on a design by Marot and symbolize the power of William and Mary
Marble topped table with flowers
The Portrait Gallery (Room 5). In the booklet about the palace, this is called White Hall or Stone Room. Most of the time in the 17th century, there were no halls - the rooms just connected with each other.
Portrait Gallery in Room #5
Bob's picture of me in the Portrait Gallery
The walls of this area are hung with portraits of the Frisian Nassaus. They were the branch of the family of a brother of Willem of Orange. When Willem III died childless, Willem IV came from this branch of the family. I wondered about the equestrian portrait which reminded me of one I saw in the Prado.
It turns out that it is a portrait of Prins Frederik Hendrik van Oranje Nassau (1584-1647) attributed to Jacob Fransz van der Merck, date unknown. My photo is a little skewed because it was taken from a lower point since I was on a scooter and not standing.
Room #6 is the chapel - we do not seem to have any photos of the chapel which was originally Anglican, built for King Willem III and his wife Mary. After her death in 1962, Queen Wilhelmina lay in state here.
We apparently also skipped room #7 (Cabinet of Stadtholder Willem IV) and room #8 the Frisian Cabinet. After Willem III's death, it was 45 years before an Orange was named Stadtholder of the whole Republic. Eventually William IV (who was married to Anne - the daughter of the English King George II) became the new Stadtholder. After room #7 and #8, most people walked up stairs. We took the elevator up
elevator
to Room #9 the Cabinet of Stadtholder Willem V. We are now into the 18th century, Willem V (1748-1806) was fond of luxurious furniture and loved things from the Far East.
Room #9
Room #9
Room #10, the Library is once again back in the 17th century -
this was a room used by King Stadtholder Willem III. Incidentally, Willem III was both a King of England and a Stadtholder of the Netherlands. I wondered why the library was called a Bibliotheek which was so close to the French word for library. I guess maybe both words come from the Latin.
Bibliotheek - Room 10
The ceiling (stucco with mirrors c 1692) was made by traveling Italian plasterers .
Mirrored ceiling of Room 10 - Library
#2 Bentinck Room
which is named for Hans Willem Bentinck, the Duke of Portland. He was an advisor for Willem III. The ceiling with painted clouds and a frame of imitation marble is from the 17th century. The rest of the room is of the 19th century as it was later used by Sophie (sister of King Willem III) You can look into this room from the Vestibule, but you can't go into it.
From the Vestibule, you pass through the Old Dining Room #3 . This was the dining room of Stadtholder Willem III before he became King of England. A dining room was something new in the 17th century. People just ate wherever they were - if the Stadtholder said he wanted to eat, a table would be brought to him wherever he was.
Floor boards (and the edge of the carpet) Room #3 -Old Dining Room
Ceiling detail in the Old Dining Room (Room #3) - Old Dining Room
A characteristic of all the apartments of Willem and Mary are the wood carved door frames with oak and acanthus leaves.
Next was the New Dining Room. Because we were going around on our own (and I just took photos without stopping to read the signs), I did not appreciate the NEW Dining Room.
Het Loo Palace- The New Dining Room
Het Loo Palace - The New Dining Room
Willem III had Daniel Marot design this room in 1692. Daniel worked for King Louis XIV, but when Louis XIV made it a punishable offense to be Protestant, Daniel fled to Holland, and became the head decorator of Willem III. This room remained the royal dining room for many generations. Commoners were allowed to watch the King eat, and during important dinners there would be musicians. What I thought was most interesting were the dishes in the shape of birds with tail feathers - one with a peacock tail feathers, and one with pheasant feathers.
Het Loo Palace - The New Dining Room
Het Loo Palace- The New Dining Room
The chandelier is a copy that Queen Wilhelmina had made of a 17th century Andre-Charles Boulle gilded bronze chandelier so it would make the room reflect the era of Willem III.
Het Loo Palace - The New Dining Room
the tapestries were based on a design by Marot and symbolize the power of William and Mary
Marble topped table with flowers
The Portrait Gallery (Room 5). In the booklet about the palace, this is called White Hall or Stone Room. Most of the time in the 17th century, there were no halls - the rooms just connected with each other.
Portrait Gallery in Room #5
Bob's picture of me in the Portrait Gallery
The walls of this area are hung with portraits of the Frisian Nassaus. They were the branch of the family of a brother of Willem of Orange. When Willem III died childless, Willem IV came from this branch of the family. I wondered about the equestrian portrait which reminded me of one I saw in the Prado.
It turns out that it is a portrait of Prins Frederik Hendrik van Oranje Nassau (1584-1647) attributed to Jacob Fransz van der Merck, date unknown. My photo is a little skewed because it was taken from a lower point since I was on a scooter and not standing.
Room #6 is the chapel - we do not seem to have any photos of the chapel which was originally Anglican, built for King Willem III and his wife Mary. After her death in 1962, Queen Wilhelmina lay in state here.
We apparently also skipped room #7 (Cabinet of Stadtholder Willem IV) and room #8 the Frisian Cabinet. After Willem III's death, it was 45 years before an Orange was named Stadtholder of the whole Republic. Eventually William IV (who was married to Anne - the daughter of the English King George II) became the new Stadtholder. After room #7 and #8, most people walked up stairs. We took the elevator up
elevator
to Room #9 the Cabinet of Stadtholder Willem V. We are now into the 18th century, Willem V (1748-1806) was fond of luxurious furniture and loved things from the Far East.
Room #9
Room #9
Room #10, the Library is once again back in the 17th century -
this was a room used by King Stadtholder Willem III. Incidentally, Willem III was both a King of England and a Stadtholder of the Netherlands. I wondered why the library was called a Bibliotheek which was so close to the French word for library. I guess maybe both words come from the Latin.
Bibliotheek - Room 10
The ceiling (stucco with mirrors c 1692) was made by traveling Italian plasterers .
Mirrored ceiling of Room 10 - Library
- Next entry in the series 'Go to Amsterdam First (1950, 1965, 2009, 2016, 2018, 2022)': Het Loo Palace #3
- Previous entry in the series 'Go to Amsterdam First (1950, 1965, 2009, 2016, 2018, 2022)': Het Loo Palace #1
