On Tuesday, March 4, 2014, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands arrived at the Dordrecht Museum in Dordrecht to attend the opening of the exhibition, Willem II: Kunstkoning (Willem II: Art King).

According to RVD, the late King Willem II had collected: 

“…important paintings and drawings by Italian, French and Spanish old masters, Flemish primitives and Dutch masters of the Golden Age including works by Rembrandt and Jan Steen. 

After his death, the [his] art collection was auctioned. Most of the works went to museums and collectors abroad. In the exhibition, Willem II: Kunstkoning, the Dordrecht Museum brings for the first time a large part of the collection back together. The reason for this is the 200 years celebration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

The Dordrecht Museum organized the exhibition in collaboration with the Royal Archives, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Villa Vauban in Luxembourg.”

Willem II: Kunstkoning will be open to the public until June 15, 2014.  For more information about the exhibition please click here.

Please click here and here to view photos.

On February 28, 2014, Her Royal Highness Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands opened the Bibliotheek Gouda in, well, Gouda.  The library building dates back to 1971 and was originally a chocolate factory according to RVD.

Click here to view photos.

Photo courtesy of RVD/HKH