Marie Louise chamber

A beloved princess

The museum has recently been expanded. One of the new additions is the Marie-Louise chamber that tells us the story of Marie-Louise, lovingly called aunty May in Leeuwarden. Marie-Louise of Hessen Kassel married prince Johan Willem Friso in 1709. This union entered her into the ranks of Dutch royalty. With the untimely death of her husband in 1711 she became the regent of not just Leeuwarden but the entirety of the Dutch republic. Because of her blood ties to royalty all over Europe she is not only ancestress to the Dutch royal family but also to those of all the major European monarchies. Because of this we call her Marie-Louise princess of Europe.