Route of the Golden Carriage...

Every year on the third Tuesday of September, the King travels in The Hague from Noordeinde Palace to the Ridderzaal (Knight’s Hall) in a golden carriage to deliver a speech to open Parliament. For the first time, I finally joined some ladies from the AWC to walk the route and learn a bit more of the history. This road, Molenstraat, isn’t actually on the route, but I figured it was worth including because of the many Dutch flags.

Unfortunately, I’ve lost the handout which identified many of the buildings we saw, such as this lovely step-gabled building...

...and this pretty door. 

 

This is the Cabinet of the King, a small government organization which assists the King in the performance of his constitutional duties including arranging his contact with members of government.

I loved the reflections on the Hofvijver, which was very still but also had a lot of leaves. This artificial pond, first dug out in the late 13th century, was fed by a spring from a nearby dune lake.

The Mauritshuis, my favorite museum in the world, was originally built in 1641 as the private home of Count Johan Mauriits van Nassau-Siegen, who made his riches by trading in sugar cane in Brazil. In 1704, most of the interior was destroyed by fire; it was rebuilt by 1718. In 1820, it was purchased to house the Royal Picture Galley and was opened to the public in 1822 as a museum.

The Ridderzaal was built in 1280 as a party hall for the Counts of Holland. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was used as a lottery hall and an exercise room for cadets. It was restored in 1904 in a Gothic Revival style.

Lastly, the Binnenhof (Inner Court) houses both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Built primarily in the 13th century, it is among the oldest Parliament buildings still in use in the world. It will be undergoing extensive renovations from 2020 until 2025.