PRESS RELEASE
__________________________________
Historical Museum of The Hague
15 March 2011, The Hague
“Look there’s the king!”
The House of Orange in The Hague
The exhibition “Look, there goes the King!” The House of Orange in The Hague at the
Historical Museum of The Hague between 15 April and 23 October will look at how The
Hague and the House of Orange have shared life’s joys and sorrows together. Formal
occasions and informal encounters reveal that it is for good reason that The Hague is known
as the Royal City. As a visitor to the exhibition, you will experience – in spectacular fashion –
the typically Hague event of Prinjesdag though image and sound. Allow yourself to be swept
along by a jubilant crowd as you follow the progress of the Golden Coach.
Prince Maurice signalled the arrival of the House of Orange in The Hague when in 1585 he
took up residence in the Stadholder Quarter in the Binnenhof. Successive stadholders and
kings after him erected all manner of splendid palaces in and around The Hague. Models of
Huis ten Bosch and Huis Honselaarsdijk illustrate the House of Orange’s legacy. It was not only
the building of palaces and the erection of monuments that had an impact on the city, The
Hague was and still is the backdrop for official appearances by members of the House of
Orange, as paintings, prints, photographs, films and other Orange memorabilia on display
testify.
The exhibition is organised into themes: formal occasions such as births, marriages and death
reveal how the city’s inhabitants have shared in the most intimate moments of the royal
family’s lives. Informal encounters between the rulers and their people took place during
public events such as the Hague fair and Queen’s Day, where to this day Orange mania still
erupts.
A special section of the exhibition is devoted to the interior of Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna’s
Russian Orthodox chapel with its original objects. Some of the objects in the chapel’s
inventory were part of the campaign church belonging to Tsar Alexander I, Anna Pavlovna’s
brother, and saw battle against Napoleon. In 1816, after Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna’s
marriage to the Prince of Orange, later King William II, these items were brought to The Hague
from St. Petersburg. Tradition dictated that Romanov grand duchesses remained true to their
faith until their death. The chapel is on view until 15 May.
The bond between members of the House of Orange and The Hague’s citizens is not only one
of love and happiness, but also one of prosperity and adversity. After the death of Prince
William II, there followed what is known as a stadholderless period. And in the time of Prince
William V, there were regular uprisings and clashes between the Orangeists and their
opponents, the Patriots. Even today, just a stone’s throw from the museum in the Dutch
House of Representatives, the role of the royal family continues to be discussed.
With this exhibition at the Historical Museum of The Hague, The Hague as Royal City takes
centre stage this spring and summer.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Exhibition:
“Look, there goes the king!” The House of Orange in The Hague.
Dates:
15 April - 23 October 2011
Location:
Historical Museum of The Hague, Korte Vijverberg 7, The Hague
Tel. +31 (0)70 364 69 40, www.haagshistorischmuseum.nl
Adults: € 5 / Groups: € 4.50 / CKV/CJP: € 3.50 /
Students: € 2.50 / 18 and under/Museum Card and Friends: free.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Notes to editors:
For more information/visual material:
Hans Gramberg or Deirdre Schoemaker, Communication & Marketing, pr@haagshistorischmuseum.nl or tel. +31
(0)70 312 30 66 / M. 06 127 65 373.