Noordeinde Palace ('Paleis Noordeinde') with its lovely garden is located in the elegant Noordeinde district. Compared to other European palaces, Noordeinde is modest and wonderfully located on one of The Hague's shopping streets, among jewelers, antique dealers and galleries interspersed with cafes and restaurants. During the four summer weekends the palace is open for visits.
Paleis Noordeinde History
The king uses Noordeinde Palace as a working palace for political and state affairs, here where the working quarters of the king and Queen Máxima are also located. Most of the staff of the Office of the Royal Family also work at Noordeinde Palace.
Every year, many receptions and audiences are held in the palace. The king also receives foreign ambassadors there to present their letters of credence. On 'Prinsjesdag' (the opening of Parliament), the royal procession leaves the palace and, after the queen's speech, the so-called balcony scene takes place on the balcony.
In 1533, in Nortende, on the edge of what was then The Hague, William Goudt had a medieval house converted into a residence. The building, whose history has been inextricably linked to the House of Orange since 1591, developed into the Noordeinde Palace we know today.
Since 1814, the palace has been used by King Willem I, King Willem III, Queen Emma and Queen Wilhelmina. In May 1948, the central section of the palace was destroyed by fire. In that same year, Juliana became queen. She chose to use the Soestdijk Palace as her official residence. However, part of the royal family continued to work in the Noordeinde Palace. Between 1952 and 1976, the north wing of the palace housed the Institute of Social Studies.
After a thorough restoration, Queen Beatrix returned the palace to intensive use as a working palace in 1984. Since taking office in 2013, King Willem-Alexander also uses it as a working palace for all state engagements.