by An Ard Rí and Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2012
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was established in 1815 and includes the Netherlands and three countries in the Caribbean: Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. Since 1815, all the Dutch monarchs and consorts have been buried at the Nieuwe Kerk (The New Church) in Delft, located in South Holland (Zuid-Holland), the Netherlands. The Nieuwe Kerk was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and was originally a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Ursula. In 1572, during the Reformation, the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft was taken over by the Dutch Reformed Church. Today the Dutch royal family are members of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Netherlands. While the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft is open for visitors, the royal burial vaults of the House of Orange-Nassau are private and not open to the public and there are no photos of the tombs.
The Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, photo: Wikipedia
The royal burial vaults are beneath the tomb of Willem I, Prince of Orange (William the Silent). Willem, the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau, who was assassinated in 1584 and entombed at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. In addition to the monarchs of the Netherlands and their consorts, most of the Princes of Orange after Willem the Silent and their consorts were also buried at the church.
The entrance to the royal vaults is behind the tomb of Willem the Silent and is sealed by a large stone cover with four brass rings.
Tomb of William the Silent; Photo Credit – Door Zairon – Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56280054
The access to the royal crypt in the foreground; Credit – By Sander van der Wel from Netherlands – Royal grave tomb and the grave of Willem van Oranje, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28146859
Map of the Royal Crypt – Credit – Door Robert Prummel op de Nederlandstalige Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3228634
The numbers next to the names below correspond to the burial places on the map above.
The Old Crypt with the body-like lead sarcophagus of Louise de Coligny on the bottom right and Willem I, Prince of Orange’s coffin on the bottom left
Links in the two lists below are to Unofficial Royalty articles for Princes of Orange and their wives. Monarchs and spouses are linked below.
Buried in the old vault:
1. Willem I, Prince of Orange (Willem the Silent)
2. Louise de Coligny, wife of Willem I, Prince of Orange
3. Maurits of Nassau, Prince of Orange
4. Elisabeth, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
5. Isabella Charlotte, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
6. Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
6a. Henriette-Amalia of Orange, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
6b. Hendrik Louis of Orange, son of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
7. Catharina Belgica, daughter of Willem I, Prince of Orange
8. Amalia van Solms-Braunfels, wife of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
A drawing of the New Crypt made by a French journalist who entered the crypts in 1890 just before King Willem III was interred; Credit – Wikipedia
Buried in the new vault:
9. Willem II, Prince of Orange
10. Stillborn daughter of Willem IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau
11. Willem IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau
12. Anne, Princess Royal, wife of Willem IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau
13. George, son of Carolina of Orange-Nassau
14. Stillborn daughter of Carolina of Orange-Nassau
15. Stillborn son of Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau
16. Frederik, son of Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau
17. Pauline of Orange-Nassau, daughter of King Willem I of the Netherlands
18. Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau
19. Louise, daughter of Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau
20. Wilhelmina of Prussia, wife of Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau
21. Ernst Casimir of the Netherlands, son of King Willem II
22. Willem, son of Prince Frederik of the Netherlands
23. Wilhelmina of Prussia, wife of King Willem I of the Netherlands
24. King Willem I of the Netherlands
25. Frederik, son of Prince Frederik of the Netherlands
26. Alexander of the Netherlands, son of King Willem II of the Netherlands
27. King Willem II of the Netherlands
28. Maurits of the Netherlands, son of King Willem III of the Netherlands
29. Anna Pavlovna of Russia, wife of King Willem II of the Netherlands
30. Louise of Prussia, wife of Prince Frederik of the Netherlands
31. Amalia of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach, wife of Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands
32. Sophie of Württemberg, wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands
33. Hendrik of the Netherlands, son of King Willem II of the Netherlands
34. Willem, Prince of Orange, son of King Willem III of the Netherlands
35. Frederik of the Netherlands, son of King Willem I of the Netherlands
36. Alexander, Prince of Orange, son of King Willem III of the Netherlands
37. King Willem III of the Netherlands
38. Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands
39. Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, husband of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
40. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
41. Claus van Amsberg, husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
42. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
43. Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, husband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
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In the diagram below, the Old Crypt is labeled with the years 1623, 1625, and 1752. The New Crypt is labeled with the year 1822 and the newest crypt is labeled with the year 2022. The area labeled with the year 1925 is a vestibule.
Floor plan of the current royal burial vault (including dates of completion of additions) in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, along with the new expansion of the burial vault to be built in 2022; Credit – Royal House of the Netherlands: Expansion crypt Nieuwe Kerk
On April 20, 2021, it was announced that the royal vault in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft would be refurbished and expanded. From Royal House of the Netherlands: Expansion crypt Nieuwe Kerk Delft: “With the burials of Prince Claus (2002) and Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard (2004), the maximum capacity of the burial vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft has almost been reached. The expansion of the royal vault means that a new cellar will be built in the south ambulatory of the church. The crypt will be connected to the existing vestibule (dating from 1925) of the current Royal crypt. In addition, the crypt will have a new secondary entrance on the outside of the church, creating direct access to the crypt. In the extension of the burial vault, space will be created for more than twenty burials.”
The Dutch Monarchs
- Willem I of the Netherlands, reigned March 16, 1815 – October 7, 1840
- Willem II of the Netherlands, reigned October 7, 1840 – March 17, 1849
- Willem III of the Netherlands, reigned March 17, 1849 – November 23, 1890
- Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, reigned November 23, 1890 – September 4, 1948
- Juliana of the Netherlands, reigned September 4, 1948 – April 30, 1980
- Beatrix of the Netherlands, reigned April 30, 1980 – April 30, 2013
- Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, reigned April 30, 2013 – present
Official Website: Royal House of the Netherlands
Unofficial Royalty: Dutch Index
Note: Because the royal burial vaults are private, there are no photographs of the tombs. Pictures or photographs of the individuals have been used instead. In addition, there are some photos of funerals and some links to YouTube videos of funerals. All images of monarchs and consorts are from Wikipedia.
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Willem I, King of the Netherlands, reigned March 16, 1815 – October 7, 1840
Willem, the son of Willem V, Prince of Orange and Wilhelmina of Prussia was born on August 24, 1772. In 1806, he succeeded his father as Willem VI, Prince of Orange. He proclaimed himself King of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands on March 16, 1815. On October 1, 1791, Willem married his first cousin, Wilhelmine of Prussia. Willem abdicated in 1840 due to constitutional changes he did not agree with, anger over the loss of Belgium, and his desire to make a morganatic second marriage after the death of his wife, Wilhelmine. Willem died in exile in Berlin on December 12, 1843. His remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Wilhelmine of Prussia, Queen of the Netherlands
Wilhelmine was the daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. She married the future Willem I of the Netherlands in 1791 and was the first Queen Consort. The couple had four surviving children including King Willem II. After years of poor health, Wilhelmine died at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague on October 12, 1837. Her remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Willem II, King of the Netherlands, reigned October 7, 1840 – March 17, 1849
Born on December 6, 1792, Willem was the son of King Willem I of the Netherlands and Wilhelmine of Prussia. He married Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia on February 21, 1816. Upon the abdication of his father in October 1840, he became the second King of the Netherlands. King Willem II died suddenly at Tilburg on March 17, 1849. His remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Anna Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of the Netherlands
Anna was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. In February 1816, she married the future Willem II of the Netherlands. The couple had five children including King Willem III. In February 1865, Anna became seriously ill and subsequently died at The Hague on March 1, 1865. She remained Russian Orthodox her entire life and her funeral service was conducted according to her religion’s rites. Her remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Willem III, King of the Netherlands, reigned March 17, 1849 – November 23, 1890
Willem III, the eldest son of King Willem II of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia, was born on February 19, 1817. He became king upon the death of his father in March 1848. Willem III married twice. He married his first wife, Sophie of Württemberg, on June 18, 1839. Two years after Sophie’s death, Willem married Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont on January 7, 1879. Willem III became seriously ill in 1887 and died in Het Loo on November 23, 1890. His remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands
Sophie was the first cousin and the first wife of Willem III. She was the daughter of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia. Sophie and Willem had three sons all of whom predeceased their father. Their marriage was an unhappy one and the couple lived apart after 1855. Sophie died at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in the Hague on June 3, 1877. Her remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Queen of the Netherlands (1879 –1890), Queen Regent (1890 – 1898), Queen Mother (1898 – 1934)
Emma was the daughter of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau. On January 7, 1879, she became the second wife of King Willem III who was 41 years older than Emma. Emma’s sister Helena married Prince Leopold, the youngest and hemophiliac son of Queen Victoria. Willem and Emma had one child, a daughter Wilhelmina, who succeeded her father when she was 10 years old. Emma served as Queen Regent until her daughter turned 18. Emma died of bronchitis complications at the Palace Lange Voorhout, The Hague on March 20, 1934. Her remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, reigned November 23, 1890 – September 4, 1948, abdicated
Born on August 31, 1880, Wilhelmina was the only child of King Willem III and Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. She became Queen of the Netherlands following the death of her father in November 1890. As Wilhelmina was a minor, her mother Queen Emma acted as Regent. On February 7, 1901, she married Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1948, after a reign of over 57 years, Queen Wilhelmina abdicated in favor of her daughter Juliana. She died at age 82 on November 28, 1962, at the Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn. Her remains were buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands
Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and his third wife, Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He married Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands on February 7, 1901. Their only child was a daughter, Juliana, who succeeded her mother. Hendrik died on July 3, 1934, in The Hague. His remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands, reigned September 4, 1948 – April 30, 1980, abdicated
Juliana, the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was born on April 30, 1909. In January 1937, she married Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. Juliana became Queen of the Netherlands on September 4, 1948, following the abdication of her mother, Queen Wilhelmina. She married Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld on January 7, 1937. Queen Juliana abdicated on April 30, 1980, in favor of her eldest daughter Beatrix.
Juliana suffered from senility in the last years of her life. She died shortly before her 95th birthday from complications of pneumonia on March 20, 2004, at the Soestdijk Palace in Baarn. Her remains were then buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince of the Netherlands
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld was the son of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (younger brother of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe, the reigning Prince of Lippe) and Armgard of Sierstorpff-Cramm. He married the future Queen Juliana in January 1937. The couple had four daughters including Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
On December 1, 2004, Prince Bernhard died of cancer at age 93 in Utrecht, eight months after the death of his wife Queen Juliana. His remains were buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
Funeral of Prince Bernhard. photo: Wikipedia
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Claus van Amsberg, Prince of the Netherlands
Klaus-Georg von Amsberg was born on his family’s estate, Haus Dötzingen near Hitzacker, Germany. His parents were Klaus Felix von Amsberg and Baroness Gösta von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen. Upon receiving Dutch citizenship, his name was changed to Claus van Amsberg. He married the future Queen Beatrix on March 10, 1966. The couple had three sons including the current monarch, King Willem-Alexander.
Prince Claus died in Amsterdam on October 6, 2002, after a long illness at age 76. His remains were buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
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