Until Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard moved into Soestdijk Palace, it was used as a summer palace. With a caravan of staff and household goods, the successive owners traveled from the city to the palace in the green during the summer months. One of those residents was Anna Paulowna, wife of King William II. Coming to Soestdijk must have been a big culture shock for her. As the daughter of the Russian Tsar, she was used to the enormous, opulent palaces in St. Petersburg, and the relatively small Soestdijk stood out in stark contrast: “The palace there was three times as big, because the wings were not yet attached. they had it built. The palaces in Petersburg also had that and they gave Soestdijk much more grandeur.” said director of Soestdijk Palace Maya Meijer. That Anna Paulowna started to feel at home is evident from a letter from 1818: “The air is dry and very healthy and it is a wonderful place. This applies to the house as well as the woods and the surrounding area. The estate is free and pleasant to stay.”
Women of Soestdijk starring in an exhibition at the palace
