Anyone who has watched the series Downtown Abbey will be familiar with the concept of ‘upstairs/downstairs’. In today’s blog we will look at the (in)visible staff corridors and rooms of Huis ten Bosch Palace.
When King Willem-Alexander signs a pile of laws in his office, he obviously does not want to be disturbed. Even during a reception of important guests, the staff must be as invisible as possible. The important rooms in palaces and castles are therefore often surrounded by staff corridors, which lead to staff quarters on the bottom floor. This is no different at Huis ten Bosch Palace. The Oranjezaal, in front of which the royal family poses in the photo below, has a basement.
In the historical sketch below, you can see the traffic roundabout for the staff. This way, food from the palace kitchen, which is located in the Hague wing (to the right of the vestibule), does not have to go through the Chinese Hall, with the risk of spilling.
In the Hague wing a staircase leads to the lower house. You can then go back up through a door in the stairs of the vestibule, as you see the king doing below.
What does the basement look like? You can see that in the photo below. The central basement of the palace consists of a vaulted space with brick basket arches with cross vaults. The floor is made of marble tiles. At the time of Juliana, this space was used as a wardrobe, for example during a diplomat’s dinner. On the right you see the stairs to the Oranjezaal.
There are various rooms for staff in the basement.
The garden room, which overlooks the garden, has yellow-gold window frames.
Back to the ground floor, because there the staff must also move through the palace as invisibly as possible. As mentioned, many rooms are surrounded by a corridor for the staff and, if necessary and/or desired, also for the palace residents. So you can go directly from the DNA Salon to the Blue Salon, as you can see in the photo below…
…. but you can also go via the hallway, where a staircase leads to the basement. Provided you can find the door to the hallway, because it almost blends in with the wall covering (see arrow).
Nowadays there is wood on the floor in the hallway. During the time of Queen Beatrix there was a red carpet.
Modern Dutch art hangs on the wall. This painting is by Charlotte Molenkamp.
You will also find Art Dekkers’ shifted squares there.
In some corridors you will also come across a kitchenette. Handy for a quick cup of coffee. This is between the Japanese Hall, Chinese Hall and the White Dining Room.
