On 20th April 1808, Louis Bonaparte made his triumphal entry into Amsterdam. His brother, Emperor Napoleon, had made him King of Holland in order to increase his influence from France. The new king found only one building suitable to be his palace in the Netherlands:
The Amsterdam Town Hall.
In a few months, the town hall
was transformed into a stylish palace. Thick carpets were laid on the floors of
cold offices and galleries and the walls were decked with colourful fabrics. The
cellars became wine cellars and in the middle of the façade on the first floor,
he had a balcony built. After all, a king must be able to show himself to his people.
The largest part of the interior conversion was the purchasing of new furniture. Hundreds of chairs, tables, cupboards, beds and chandeliers were made in Paris and Amsterdam for the King. All of it was made in the popular ‘Empire Style’ which was in fashion at the French court. This historic furniture has all been restored and is still in use today at the Palace.
After two years, King Louis
Bonaparte fell out with his brother. He was doing too much for the Dutch and
too little for the French Empire. In 1810, he stepped down from the throne and
the Kingdom of Holland was annexed by France. But although Louis Bonaparte only
lived for a short time in the Amsterdam Royal Palace, his presence is still
felt.
