Marie Louise was here

Son et Lumière
The summer evening spectacle in the Princessehof’s garden will include video projections on the facades of the city palace, a specially composed piece of music, special lighting in the garden and a stimulating programme of associated activities. Marie Louise was here is a modern portrait of a resourceful woman in a male-dominated world: Marie Louise van Hessen-Kassel, Princess of Orange-Nassau (1688-1765), ancestor of our current king. Theatre-maker Jos van Kan will direct the event. He and media artist Frouke ten Velden designed this project to be poetic and provocative, making clever use of the Princessehof’s architecture. Marie Louise was portrayed by Dutch actress Ariane Schluter.

Odes to the princess
Before Maria Louise was here local artists such as musicians, word artists and experts would bring an ode to the princess of Orange-Nassau. Every Thursday there was a small (in Dutch) lecture  by an expert and on Fridays and Saturdays various artists such as dancers, poets and musicians took the stage.  

Marie Louise was here was part of Nassau Summer, a collaboration between the Municipality of Leeuwarden, Merk Fryslan, the Princessehof and the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC). During the summer vacations Leeuwarden casted a spotlight on its rich Nassau history with various cultural activities around the theme ‘Marie Louise and the Nassaus’. The Princessehof owes its name to the matriarch of our current royal family: Marie Louise van Hessen-Kassel, Princess of Orange-Nassau. An intimate exhibition in the city palace provided glimpses behind the scenes of her eventful life. Portraits, prints, drawings and a detailed Orange family tree, underscore how important Marie Louise was to the survival of the Orange dynasty. Along with a period room, this exhibition is a permanent feature in the museum.