Huize (House) De Paauw in Wassenaar just outside The Hague in the Netherlands has the allure of a former royal palace but, you may know of my luck, it is currently undergoing renovations which are due to last until at least 2020. It has been in use by the country since 1923 but before that time it was lived in by Princess Louise of Prussia and her husband Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, the second son of King William I of the Netherlands.
The couple went on to have four children, of which two daughters would survive to adulthood. Their first daughter, Princess Louise of the Netherlands was actually born in The Hague but spent much of her youth in Huize de Paauw. Their second daughter Marie was born in Wassenaar. The sisters were 13 years apart in age.
Louise ended up marrying the future King Charles XV of Sweden and IV of Norway and they had just one surviving daughter. Read more about her here. Marie was once considered as a bride for the future King Edward VII but despite intelligent and wealthy, she was not considered attractive and she had profound hearing problems from an early age. At the age of 30, Marie married William, Prince of Wied at Wassenaar and they went on to have five surviving children.
Louise of Prussia died at Huize de Paauw on 6 December 1870 and she was interred in the New Church in Delft later that same month. Prince Frederick also died at Huize de Paauw in 1881 and at this point, Marie inherited the house from her father. Marie died on 22 June 1910 in Neuwied, Germany, where she was also buried.
The house is not open to the public but you can walk in the park and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I expect that it will be even prettier after the renovations.
Be the first to comment