On 13 Januar 2019 King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, with their daughters Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane, officially moved in to Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague.
After their marriage in February 2002 Willem-Alexander and Máxima lived at Noordeinde 66 in The Hague for a while. In the Spring of 2003 they moved to Villa De Eikenhorst in Wassenaar, the former home (until 1996) of Willem-Alexander’s aunt Princess Christina, who had the house built in 1985-1987, after a design of architect Johannes baron van Asbeck (1911-2010). The Villa was built at the royal estate De Horsten, only about ten kilometers from The Hague. The village of Wassenaar was where the three daughters of the couple grew up and went to primary school. While Amalia and Alexia nowadays attend the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague, Ariane will leave primary school this summer.
The Dutch state puts three palaces at the disposal of the Dutch monarch. From 1981 until 2014 Willem-Alexander’s mother Princess Beatrix (and her family), who had abdicated in 2013, lived at Palace Huis ten Bosch. The renovation that started after she had left, will be finished this Spring. However the Wassenaarse wing was ready for new royal inhabitants already now. While the main building (middle) of the palace is sometimes used for public functions and entertaining, the Hague wing contains guest quarters, the Wassenaarse wing remains private. The middle part of the palace contains the impressive Hall of Orange, that was restored between 1998 and 2001. Late 2015 the Hall of Orange was open for the public for a few months. See the report of my visit. Also some exotic wall-hangings for the palace were exhibited in 2017.
Although of course grander and much older, the palace will hopefully be as much of a home for the family as the villa. The two elder daughters will be closer to their schools, and also the Noordeinde palace, where the royal couple works often, is less far away.