Royal house
Delft and the Dutch royal family are inextricably linked. Since William of Orange, almost all its members have been interred in the royal tombs in the Nieuwe Kerk. As recently as 2002 and 2004, three members of the Royal Family found their final resting place here.
Ancient lineage
Counting from William of Orange, the Netherlands has one of the oldest royal families in the world. However, the Dutch monarchy only officially came into force in 1813, with the inauguration of King William I. So in 2013, the Dutch royal family will have existed for two hundred years.
Royal allure
It was only by chance that William of Orange was buried in Delft. After all, his ancestors were traditionally buried in the Grote Kerk in Breda. But that city was in the hands of the Spanish at the time of his death.
So the 'Father of the Fatherland' was buried in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. His particularly beautiful tomb still gives the church royal allure. When you see it, you can sense its royal grandeur.
Discover more about the House of Orange
Royal house
Delft en het Nederlandse Koninklijk Huis zijn onlosmakelijk met elkaar verbonden. Sinds Willem van Oranje worden bijna alle leden daarvan bijgezet in de koninklijke grafkelders in de Nieuwe Kerk. In 2002 en 2004 nog, vonden drie leden van de Koninklijke Familie hier hun laatste rustplaats.
William of Orange
William of Orange; the 'Father of the Fatherland'. That his name was associated with Delft and the Nieuwe Kerk is purely coincidental. After his sudden death in the Prinsenhof in Delft, his family tomb in Breda was inaccessible....
Tomb of William of Orange
The mausoleum of William of Orange is perhaps the Nieuwe Kerk's biggest crowd puller. The artwork contains a lot of fascinating symbolism and shows great respect for the 'Father of the Fatherland'.
Interments of the Oranges
Since William of Orange, the founding father of the Van Oranje-Nassau family, almost all deceased members of the Dutch royal family have been interred in the royal tombs of the Nieuwe Kerk.
Royal tombs
Since William of Orange, almost all members of the Dutch royal family have been buried in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. The tombs are not open to the public. What exactly they look like is still, therefore, generally unknown.
Recent burials
As recently as 2002 and 2004, successively Prince Claus, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard found their final resting place in Delft's Nieuwe Kerk.