Chapter II Memories of The Hague
London, 23rd of October 2020
For as long as I can remember, we always had big party in October. We celebrated my parents and my grand parents birthdays and their wedding anniversary. Sadly due to situations beyond our control we had to cancel our festivities for this year. This is a great pity, we are celebrating a milestone birthday for my dear papa and on top of that, my parents will celebrate their Golden wedding anniversary! 50 Years, I’m unbelievably proud! The last time we celebrated a golden wedding in my family was in the 1940’s when my great grand parents were married 50 years. But I digress. All these ‘could be’ festivities made me think of my favourite places of my time in The Netherlands, especially The Hague. The Hague is the Royal Residence, the seat of parliament, it used to be the centre of 'Le Monde' in The Netherlands and in my opinion far more interesting (and less touristy) than Amsterdam.
Our favourite place and certainly my favourite place and a place of many happy memories is Hotel des Indes on The Hague’s most elegant street namely De Lange Voorhout.
An L shaped avenue flanked by Linden trees with a central isle covered in crushed seashells. In summer it's cool and a good refuge from the sun and in autumn it's a riot of colour. You can find many important buildings on the Lange Voorhout. The Klooster church, a few embassies and the supreme council in one of my favourite buildings, Huis Huguetan and two City palaces, palace Kneuterdijk (located on the Street called Kneuterdijk connecting with the Lange Voorhout) where Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna lived when she moved to The Netherlands when she married King William II (refurbishing it completely and installing a Russian Orthodox Chapel) and Palace Lange Voorhout. Not mention parliament and a few intimate museums and my favourite clothes shop in close proximity of this street.
The Lange Voorhout
F.G. van den Heuvel is one of the only places where I shop for clothes, apart from the usual Jemyn Street outfitters and my own bespoke garments. They are a classic outfitter who have been there forever. I remember going there with my Papa to get some shirts and a jumper and once upon a time there used to be an incredibly cantankerous old man who used to run the shop, it was funny really, an old school salesman as people call it now. Luckily now this splendid shop has been taken over by someone who does know how to keep classic style interesting, and still offers delightful jumpers, pyjamas, corduroy trousers and sports jackets of excellent quality and good conversations. They also offer bespoke shirts and other accessories. All this in comfortable surroundings with a delicious classic window display with shutters (comme il faut), privacy and discretion are paramount.
Whenever I think of The Hague in think of my family and this place and this glorious hotel.
Hotel des Indes started out as the city palace for the Baron van Brienen who was an advisor for King William III. His son sold it a few years after his death and Hotel des Indes opened on the 1st of May 1881. It soon became the center of society life in The Hague where ‘Le Monde’ frequently slept, partied and dined. The hotel really made furore when Tsar Nicholas II stayed in 1899 to attend the first peace conference which was held in The Hague. Another notable guest was the illustrious Anna Pavlova who never checked out. The Prima Ballerina Suffered from pneumonia and died in her room in 1931. Her last words were, "Get my 'Swan' costume ready." and in accordance to an old ballet tradition the performance of the Dying Swan went on with a single spot on stage. The room doesn't exist anymore, it currently houses the reception area but a ground floor salon was named after her. 
For me Des Indes is a place where I came very often with my parents, a place where I received a plate full of sandwiches as a child even though they weren't on the menu. The ground floor rotunda was the same for years, save a lick of paint. It was the drawing room of The Hague, dark, a little worn but cozy where everyone knew each other. A place where worlds met and you rubbed shoulders with diplomats, Austrian countesses, writers and everyone else who dined in the 'drawing room'. We always had the same table, if I was alone with my mother we sat at a small round table on the left of the rotunda seated in two large, slightly worn beige fauteuils. On the table stood an enormous lamp with a porcelain foot. My tray with sandwiches always placed on a little side table so I could easily reach them. Otherwise we sat at a larger table towards the middle of the rotunda, with 4 seats and a large table covered with a crisp table cloth with a good view of the surroundings and where people could see you and of course who went up and came down the stairs, but as a child I always preferred the small table in the corner almost tucked away behind the brass cake trolley but with an excellent view of the rotunda. Places to play were abundant, on the stairs, on the first floor beneath the dome and in the small ballroom. Looking back, it was magical and I admit I still roam around the corridors and the ballroom when I visit.
Hotel des Indes started out as the city palace for the Baron van Brienen who was an advisor for King William III. His son sold it a few years after his death and Hotel des Indes opened on the 1st of May 1881. It soon became the center of society life in The Hague where ‘Le Monde’ frequently slept, partied and dined. The hotel really made furore when Tsar Nicholas II stayed in 1899 to attend the first peace conference which was held in The Hague. Another notable guest was the illustrious Anna Pavlova who never checked out. The Prima Ballerina Suffered from pneumonia and died in her room in 1931. Her last words were, "Get my 'Swan' costume ready." and in accordance to an old ballet tradition the performance of the Dying Swan went on with a single spot on stage. The room doesn't exist anymore, it currently houses the reception area but a ground floor salon was named after her.
For me Des Indes is a place where I came very often with my parents, a place where I received a plate full of sandwiches as a child even though they weren't on the menu. The ground floor rotunda was the same for years, save a lick of paint. It was the drawing room of The Hague, dark, a little worn but cozy where everyone knew each other. A place where worlds met and you rubbed shoulders with diplomats, Austrian countesses, writers and everyone else who dined in the 'drawing room'. We always had the same table, if I was alone with my mother we sat at a small round table on the left of the rotunda seated in two large, slightly worn beige fauteuils. On the table stood an enormous lamp with a porcelain foot. My tray with sandwiches always placed on a little side table so I could easily reach them. Otherwise we sat at a larger table towards the middle of the rotunda, with 4 seats and a large table covered with a crisp table cloth with a good view of the surroundings and where people could see you and of course who went up and came down the stairs, but as a child I always preferred the small table in the corner almost tucked away behind the brass cake trolley but with an excellent view of the rotunda. Places to play were abundant, on the stairs, on the first floor beneath the dome and in the small ballroom. Looking back, it was magical and I admit I still roam around the corridors and the ballroom when I visit.
Yours truly in the Salon van Brienen
The hotel closed for refurbishment on a grand scale in 2006. All of the old, cozy and slightly worn rooms and furniture was removed. It was sad really, but I suppose it needed more than a lick of paint to make it fashionable and livable again. The interiors were designed by a favourite, Jacques Garcia in the sumptuous Style Second Empire which harked back to the Victorian heydays of the hotel. It is still a wonderful place, where the staff knows their regular guests and remembers what you like and where you usually sit. They still make something which is not on the menu for us, which is a nice thing especially with the modern hotel mentality.
Love,
F.
The rotunda
Still roaming around in the small ballroom
My favourite play area
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