While in The Hague for the Royal Gatherings weekend I heard about a special exhibition the The Hague Historical Museum has right now, called Courtly Rivals (Dutch: Rivalen aan het Haagse Hof) So, during the two-hour lunch break I walked to the museum, which luckily wasn’t far away from the hotel.
I took these pictures with my phone. I didn’t think I would need my camera during the Royal Gatherings so I didn’t bring it. The exhibition focuses on Elizabeth Stuart and Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, who both lived in The Hague, one in exile and the other first as her lady-in-waiting and later as the wife of the Prince of Orange.
Amalia of Solms-Braunfels
Elizabeth Stuart
Princess Louise Hollandine of the Palatinate as Diana, daughter of Elizabeth Stuart
From the collections of Amalia of Solms-Braunfels
The two women’s rivalry is especially visible in the paintings made of them. They often used the same painter and were painted in the same way.
Marriage contract of Amalia of Solms-Braunfels and Frederick Henry, also signed by Elizabeth.
Elizabeth and her husband on horseback
Mary Stuart and William of Orange
Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart
Letter by Elizabeth Stuart to Henry Rich, Earl of Holland
Elizabeth as a widow
Mary Stuart as a widow (Wife of William II of Orange and mother to William III of England)
Coat of arms of Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart
The weddings procession of Frederick V and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is in the second row from the bottom where the gap is.
Overall I quite liked the exhibition. It is pretty small, only three rooms or so. If you’re near The Hague I would definitely recommend checking it out. Entrance to the museum is only 7,50 and they have a book available about the exhibition, also in English.
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