The past one and a half week haven’t been the best for royalty watchers. The Princess of Wales had photoshopped the photo of her with her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis that was released on Mother’s Day, Sunday 10 March 2024. Kate herself confessed the next day after receiving a lot of […]
Abdicating: reasons and advantages
For a long time, monarchs tended to sit on their thrones until the day they died, and many regarded it as a failure to quit the throne. The heirs were handed over more power if necessary. With the abdication of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, another country has joined the growing list of monarchies, where […]
The Golden Coach – A precious inauguration present
The most famous carriage in the Dutch royal stables is without doubt the Golden Coach. The Berline was designed and built 1897-1898 by the carriage manufacturer of the brothers Spyker. It was made of teak wood, covered in gold leaf, in Dutch Renaissance style. The coach is decorated with paintings by Nicolaas van der Waay. […]
The Golden Coach on display
I visited some lovely exhibitions already in September, but I have suddenly been so busy with wedding reports, travelling and other stuff, that I haven’t found the time yet to post about it. If you make it to Amsterdam there is not only The wedding dress of Queen Máxima in the New Church that you […]
Haute Bordure at the Fries Museum
The museum will finally be allowed to open its doors on 5 June 2021! Luckily the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, despite of Covid-19 could receive media who want to report about the collection. I managed to make an appointment for Friday 2 April 2021 to see their newest exhibition “Haute Bordure“. Whether you’re […]
Haute Bordure at the Fries Museum
Let’s hope museums can open their doors soon again. They have been forced to close their doors here in the Netherlands because of Covid-19 on 15 December 2020. Honestly I think the museums and many people can’t wait until they open again. There is one exhibition I particularly hope to visit soon, as it is […]
A royal visit to Groningen in 1937
My British royalty-friend Bobby Golden lately sent me a small article about a “royal” visit to my city Groningen in January 1937. A day after the wedding of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard in The Hague Major and Lady May Abel Smith headed for Groningen on a mission connected to another big event that year. […]
New Plans for the Noordeinde Palace Square
I remember thinking during my last visit to The Hague, The Netherlands, last November, that the area in front of the Noordeinde Palace looks a bit shabby. It turns out there were already plans to make changes. Work has started on 15 January and it will likely take a year. There will be more space […]
Travelling in Royal Style
On 4 October 2017 at the Spoorwegmuseum (Railway Museum) in Utrecht, The Netherlands, the exhibition “Vorstelijk Reizen” (Travelling in Royal Style) opened its doors. It is not clear to me how long it will be there, although some places say 2025. Pieces from the collection of the museum show the long history of royals travelling […]
5 Power Women, 5 Queens in one Exhibition
Not one of the most known museums of the Netherlands. But the Museum Jan Cunen in Oss – close to the railway station – turned out to be quite a recommendation. No huge, but lovely, exhibitions, and a beautiful building also. The theme at the moment? Power women. Apart from exhibitions of photographer Micky Hoogendijk […]