Royal palace Netherlands centre of Dutch royal life for three centuries
Paleis Het Loo serves as the royal palace Netherlands for three centuries. Built in 1684, it is a masterpiece of 17th century Dutch baroque style. A distinctly Dutch palace with characteristic symmetry, restrained grandeur, modest proportions, it’s designed to be lived in. And this royal palace Netherlands is filled with life for over 300 years.
Generations of Dutch royals live and work in Paleis Het Loo as the summer royal palace of the Netherlands. They each leave their mark on the Royal palace Netherlands. As a museum since 1984, Paleis Het Loo brings history to life in every room, garden and exhibition. As you move through the royal palace Netherlands, Dutch history comes alive. With all original interiors and furnishings, everything you see is real and true to life.
A location fit for a royal palace Netherlands
Stadtholder-King Willem III and Princess Mary have Paleis Het Loo built in 1684. It’s a dream location in the heart of the Veluwe forest and perfect for a garden, with water flowing into it from higher sources.
In 1689, Willem and Mary become king and queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. They have Paleis Het Loo expanded from a modest summer residence into a royal palace Netherlands. Because one sovereign must reside in the country where they reign, Queen Mary remains in England. She never sees her beloved Paleis Het Loo again and dies in 1694 at age 32.
French wreak havoc at royal place Netherlands
Paleis Het Loo remains the summer palace after Willem and Mary. But catastrophe strikes in 1795 as the French invade the Netherlands and Stadtholder Willem V and his family flee. French soldiers plunder the palace. In 1806, Lodewijk Napoleon, whose brother Napoleon Bonaparte appoints him King of the Netherlands, moves into the palace. When Lodewijk leaves in 1810, the royal palace Netherlands once again becomes home to the Dutch royal family.
Royal palace Netherlands a place to call home
In the following years, Paleis Het Loo is home to generations of Dutch royals. Princess Margriet and her family live here from 1967 to 1977. While they’re the last residents, Paleis Het Loo remains close to the heart of the Dutch royals. At the renovated palace’s reopening in 2023, King Willem-Alexander says: ‘It feels like coming home.’
