The Golden Coach was hoisted in the courtyard of the Amsterdam Museum last night. After a restoration of more than five years, the royal vehicle can be viewed up close for the next eight months.
The carriage was hoisted with a crane from Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal over the buildings of the museum to the courtyard. The operation lasted about two hours and was finished around 02:45. The museum used to be an orphanage, of which the children embroidered the cushions of the carriage.
Although it had not been publicized in advance, some local residents were drawn to all the nighttime crowds. There was not much to see: the coach was in a box that had only been opened in the courtyard. Even after that, a protective blanket was left in place for a while: the result of the restoration can only be seen definitively when the exhibition opens.
Discussion
The coach was donated by Amsterdam to Queen Wilhelmina in 1898 in honor of her inauguration. Since 1903, the carriage has been mainly used for the driving tour on Prinsjesdag. While the restoration King Willem-Alexander used replacement transport, the Glass Carriage from 1826.
Next Thursday, the king will open the Golden Coach exhibition. Attention is also paid to the discussion about the controversial side panel Tribute to the Colonies, which many today call racist. A decision has not yet been made about what will happen to the carriage when the exhibition ends in February 2022; as owner, the Royal House still has to make a decision about this.
“First it must be properly restored and then we’ll see,” said Willem-Alexander last year in a press interview:
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