Greetings, everyone.
One of the first beautiful places I visited this summer was Het Loo Palace. In one of my previous posts, I talked about the gardens around it. Today I want to share my impressions of being inside the palace.
I did not enter from the main entrance, because it is closed to visitors. The entrance is from the side of the royal stables. Immediately I found myself in the hall, where many visitors were viewing information about the history of the Oranski dynasty on interactive screens. I was also very interested, but I don't speak Dutch. So at home I decided to get information from online sources.
When I got up to the 2nd floor, the staff told me how to get to the royal family's apartments. The palace itself has 3 floors. There are a lot of rooms. Only 36 are open to visitors. But as for me, this is enough, because there is a lot to see there.
Everything around breathes luxury and centuries-old nobility. Each room is very beautiful in its own way. Everything is tastefully furnished, everything is harmoniously combined: wallpaper, heavy wooden furniture, upholstery, paintings, portraits.
You can tell whether the room belonged to a woman or a man by the décor. Women's apartments have lighter colours on the walls, lots of interesting trinkets on the tables and chests of drawers, and heavy curtains tied with original laces. Men's apartments are more restrained. They are dominated by muted dark colours.
I liked Queen Wilhelmina's playroom the most. By the way, she is very loved by the people of the country. It was she who bequeathed Het Loo Palace to the state. After her death, the queen wished that it be transferred to the ownership of the people, so to speak, so that everyone could visit it. Wilhelmina's will was fulfilled. And now this beautiful place is accessible to everyone.
Queen Wilhelmina was the only child in the family. Quite often she had to play alone, as there were no other children. Therefore, a beautiful playroom was set up for her, which has been preserved in its original form to this day.
It feels like she's in a midget house. Everything is just real. The furniture, dishes, vases and the changing wall look like adult, ordinary things, but much smaller.
In a large lacquered wardrobe, behind glass, there is a doll. She is dressed in the fashion of the time and looks like a real princess. Next to the wardrobe there is a bed with a white canopy hanging over it. Apparently, little Queen Wilhelmina used to rock her dolls in it. And next to it is a tiny bathtub to bathe these dolls.
There is a mini table with chairs in the room. It is specially made for children. The tea set on it is also small, so that children's hands do not get tired of playing with it.
There is a small sofa with a curved armrest, which must have been used by Wilhelmina to rest. A portrait of the little queen hangs on the wall. It is very beautiful. The artist has successfully conveyed the child's carelessness and sincerity. Little Wilhelmina is holding a rabbit. This is the queen's pet, which is buried in the cemetery of the royal family's pets. It is located in the park, not far from the palace.
In general, it is a pleasure to visit such a place. It is impossible to look away from every thing you see. If you have the opportunity, be sure to visit this beautiful place. You will not regret it.
