A unique look into the new royal crypt

The graceful tomb of William of Orange in Delft’s Nieuwe Kerk actually deceives admirers. For centuries, the royal crypt below has been a cramped and uninviting space, crammed full as possible with the coffins of the Father of the Country, governors, kings, queens and their children. A new extension is much more attractive and easier to use.

The press was allowed a look today. Two by two reporters were allowed down to the newer room. The doors of the ancient part of the crypt have remained closed.

Check out the crypt:

In contrast to the existing spaces, one can stand here. The oldest part of the cellar, right below the grave, can only be reached by crawling, explains director Claudia Hörster of the Royal Collections. The coffins of Willem and his sons Maurits and Frederik Hendrik, among others, fill the space.

“This has everything to do with the story. Willem van Oranje had chosen Breda as his final resting place, where his family lay. But that city was under siege by the Spanish, so it was initially given a temporary facility here.”

The cellar was significantly expanded in 1822, but after the burials of Prince Claus, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, the maximum capacity had also been reached there. During the restoration of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the plan for an extension was also conceived. New techniques have made it possible to dig even deeper, so that there is now headroom.

“We looked for the margins of width and length to make the most of the available surface. This was possible now, but not before,” says architect Gijsbert van Hoogevest. An exciting project, which has been constantly monitored to ensure that the work does not cause any damage.

“You don’t build a crypt every day, much less in an old church. You know you will have many stability problems. It must not settle, it must not lean, it must not vibrate. The building must remain standing and also the sepulchral monument next to it must not be damaged.”

Watch an animation of the expansion here:

The existing foundations then dictated the space of the new cellar: a rectangular concrete box with space for twenty coffins. New is a place for the polls. The burial was a 500-year-old tradition, but Princess Christina was the first Orange to be cremated in 2019. There are no plans to move her urn to Delft.

“The family has found another final resting place for her,” says Royal Collections director Hörster. “There’s no concrete reason now, but you try to build for ages and you just want to include all the possibilities. That’s why the addition was made. If it’s never used, that’s fine too.”

According to the architect Van Hoogevest, it is also more pleasant to stay in the new space than in the old parts. No more stuffy low brick vaults, but polished concrete with brass pedestals, finished with clay plaster for moisture management. There is a pleasant indirect light through the ceiling and floor, in the corridor there are three oak seats with royal blue upholstery.

“It’s a bright space, not gloomy or stuffy, not at all,” says Van Hoogevest, who remains politely silent about how much input the royal family has had. “It’s really a beautiful and elegant contemporary design. I also experienced it when I sat on such a bench for a while. Then you can really come to your senses. I think people who use it later will be happy.”

The space will also be much easier to visit for relatives and also for Hörster and the mayor of Delft on their annual inspection tour. In the past, a plaque had to be raised to expose a service entrance. They can now take a side door to the church or even enter through the new exterior entrance.

Hörster expects the Oranges to be able to use the new crypt for “more than a century”. According to the architect Van Hoogevest, it will be a good idea to look for more space under the church in case of a subsequent expansion. “The choir head is also full, so the only place I can think of is on the opposite side,” he says. “But I don’t think it will happen soon. In any case, it’s long after us.”