Royal Palace

The Royal Palace (1648-1665) was designed as the most prestigious town hall of its time. It is justly famous for being a large and important cultural and historic building of 17th century Amsterdam. It was built by the architect Jacob van Campen in Palladian style as the city hall. However, when Holland was occupied by the French troops of Napoleon, at the end of the 18th, beginning of the 19th C, Napoleon made his brother Louis King of the Netherlands. Louis didn't want to live in a house on one of the canals, he wanted a real palace, so he had the city hall converted in one in 1808. Ever since it has been the Royal Palace, although the Royal Family doesn't live there, but in The Hague. The Palace is being used for official receptions and can be visited. There is a nice collection of 18th C furniture.