House of Orange: Trump swops beach hotel for royal palace at Nato summit
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The Huis ten Bosch, built in 1645, contains ornate rooms with vaulted white ceilings and chandeliers.
PHOTO: EPA
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THE HAGUE - Change of booking: US President Donald Trump has swopped his Nato summit sleeping arrangements from a beachside hotel to the Dutch king’s 17th-century private palace.
King Willem-Alexander extended a royal invitation to his guest to stay in the “Hague Wing” of his Huis ten Bosch, nestled in the woods of the Dutch seaside city.
It means Mr Trump will not have far to travel after the dinner King Willem-Alexander is offering to the Nato leaders on June 24 – his original lodgings were in Noordwijk, some 30km away.
“The king did indeed offer accommodation to the President of the United States and he accepted that offer,” the Dutch Royal House told AFP.
“It is customary for visiting heads of state to be offered accommodation... It is up to the guest whether or not to take advantage of the offer,” said the palace.
Previous occupants have included Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and former US president Bill Clinton.
Before the hectic diplomacy of the Nato summit, Mr Trump will also enjoy breakfast on June 25 with the king at the palace, according to his schedule.
Mr Trump is known for his love of pomp and circumstance and royalty in particular, frequently expressing his admiration for Queen Elizabeth II.
The Huis ten Bosch, built in 1645, contains ornate rooms with vaulted white ceilings and chandeliers, according to pictures on the official website.
Among the rooms are the “Blue Salon”, “Chinese Hall”, “Japanese Hall” and “White Dining Hall”, with a tennis court in the grounds.
The gala dinner will be held in the majestic baroque Orange Hall.
The palace is located in the Hague Forest, at the end of a long tree-lined path.
An AFP correspondent was able to cycle past the palace early on June 24, joining hundreds of Dutch commuters on their way to work.
Spare a thought, though, for the residents of Noordwijk, a windy beach resort on the North Sea, that has been locked down for days in expectation of Mr Trump’s visit.
The gondolas of its Ferris Wheel have been removed for security reasons and roads in and out of the town blocked.
But the American flags fluttering along the beach promenade should not be completely unappreciated as several members of the huge US delegation will be staying there. AFP
