Summer residence and memorial (1645-1652)
Huis ten Bosch Palace began its life as the Sael van Oranje (Hall of the Oranges), a summer residence for Stadholder Frederik Hendrik and his wife, Amalia van Solms. It was Princess Amalia herself who was the driving force behind its construction.
On 2 September 1645, the corner stone was laid by Elizabeth, the former Queen of Bohemia. The palace was designed by Pieter Post, an architect who had also had a hand in the Mauritshuis, the assembly hall of the States of Holland (now the assembly hall of the Senate) and the Oude Hof (now Noordeinde Palace).
Memorial
When Frederik Hendrik died in 1647, his widow converted Huis ten Bosch from a summer residence to a memorial to her late husband. Under the supervision of the painter and architect Jacob van Campen, the central chamber – known as the Oranjezaal – was dedicated to the Prince’s life and work. The largest and most striking painting in the room, a 1652 work by Jacob Jordaens, depicts Frederik Hendrik triumphant.