I promise you this is the last Christmas at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn post. But there was so much to see this time. Apart from Christmas trees, Christmas decoration and festive tables, in the right wing of the palace there were also serviettes and really nice: menu cards. If you had time you could try to fold your own serviettes, not that I tried as I was already far too tired and wanted to have a quick stroll through the shopping streets of Apeldoorn on my way back to the railway station.
Of course a festive (royal) table needs folded damask serviettes. That was already the case in the 16th century, and still is. Until the 18th century the royal courts loved animal figures, which still looks great to my opinion, but of course it is time consuming. Here is a website with a few rather modern examples, and here are more.
The menus are, depending on the occasion I guess, either in French, Dutch or English. The small exhibition in showcases showed some of the menus of the most important occasions of the past century, like christenings, marriages and inaugurations, and even some from the second part of the 19th century. But there were also menus from less important occasions. I can’t say that all of my photos turned out well, likely because the corridor was pretty dark and the cards tiny and behind glass. But here are a few nice examples anyway.
In case you are looking for some inspiration, here are some of the menus.
State banquet, Royal Palace, Amsterdam, 27 March 2017
Smoked salmon mousse and caviar
Crême fraîche sauce with cucumber
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Oxtail consommé with Madeira
Truffle crêpes and fresh herbs
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Roast Anjou pigeon
Beetroot sauce
Courgettes, green beans and kohlrabi
Potato gratin with thyme
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Mocha
Diner du 6 Septembre 1898 (inauguration Queen Wilhelmina)
Potage à la d’Orsay
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Truite du lac Léman glacée, sauce Vénitienne
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Jambon de York à la Salamanca
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Pâté de chapons de Breda à l’Impératrice, sauce mireille
Chaufroix d’ortolans à la Châtelaine
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Perdreaux rôtis, bread-sauce, cresson
Salade Mexicaine
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Céleri à l’Espagnole
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Macédoine de fruits Montebello
Bombe Souveraine
Gâteaux Delgius
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Fromage de Dyon
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Fruits – Dessert
Dîner du 30 avril 1980 (inauguration Queen Beatrix)
Paupiettes de sole farcie
Sauce verte
Pouilly Fuissé 1973
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Selle d’agneau de lait
Bouquetière
Château Gruaud Larose 1962
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Glace aux fraises
Taittinger blanc de blancs 1973
Dinner 29 April 2013 (evening before King Willem-Alexander’s inauguration)
Lobster tail with a quenelle of baeri caviar
crème fraîche lime sauce
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Oxtail clair
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Roast fillet of venison with beech mushrooms
Sauce of rosemary and thyme
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White asparagus tips and runner beans
Potato mousseline with fine herbs
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Lambada strawberries and limoncello cream
Strawberry meringue
Strawberry coulins
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Mocha