The Hague

Bouches-de-la-Meuse ([buʃ.də.la.møz], "Mouths of the Meuse"; Walloon: Bokes do Moûze, Dutch: Monden van de Maas) was a department of the First French Empire in the present-day Netherlands. It was named after the mouth of the river Meuse. It was formed in 1810, when the Kingdom of Holland was annexed by France. Its territory corresponded more or less with the present-day Dutch province of South Holland. Its capital was The Hague. The department was subdivided into the following arrondissements and cantons (situation in 1813): The Hague, cantons: Alphen aan den Rijn, Katwijk, The Hague (4 cantons) and Voorburg. Brielle, cantons: Brielle, Goedereede, Sommelsdijk. Dordrecht, cantons: Dordrecht (2 cantons), Oud-Beijerland, Ridderkerk and Strijen. Gorinchem, cantons: Culemborg, Gorinchem and Sliedrecht. Leiden, cantons: Leiden (3 cantons), Noordwijk and Woubrugge. Rotterdam, cantons: Delft (2 cantons), Gouda, Haastrecht, Hillegersberg, Naaldwijk, Rotterdam (4 cantons), Schiedam and Vlaardingen.Its population in 1812 was 393,600, and its area was 378,282 hectares.After Napoleon was defeated in 1814, the department became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Prince William V Gallery is an art gallery on the Buitenhof in The Hague that currently shares an entrance with the Gevangenpoort museum. It is a recreation of the original gallery Galerij Prins Willem V, once founded there by William V, Prince of Orange in 1774. The displayed paintings are part of the collection of the Mauritshuis. Amongst the paintings on display are works by Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter and Gerard van Honthorst.

Restaurant Les Saison, part of Hotel Corona, is a defunct restaurant in The Hague, Netherlands. It was a fine dining restaurant that was awarded one Michelin star in 1988 and retained that rating until 1992.In the time of the Michelin stars, head chef was Robert Kranenborg.Hotel Corona is located in three 17th century buildings, within sight of the Dutch parlementary buildings. It reopened after an extensive renovation in January 2012.Restaurant Les Saison closed down in 1992. Partly, because head chef Kranenborg moved on to La Rive in Amsterdam. But also because the owners, Heineken International, sold the hotel to Ad Ph. Siliakus. The new owner, later Chagall Hotels & Restaurants and Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure, wanted a brasserie instead of a fine dining restaurant.

The Buitenhof (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbœytənɦɔf], Outer Court) is a square in The Hague, Netherlands, adjacent to the Binnenhof (Inner Court) and the Hofvijver pond. It is listed in the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites.

Kneuterdijk Palace (Dutch: Paleis Kneuterdijk [paːˈlɛis knøːtərˈdɛik]) is a former royal palace of the Netherlands located in The Hague, nowadays the seat of the Council of State. Built in 1716 in the Louis XIV style by architect Daniel Marot, it was commissioned by Count Johan Hendrik of Wassenaer-Obdam, member of the House of Wassenaer. The palace served as a residence for King William II of the Netherlands and his wife Queen Anna Paulowna in the first half of the 19th century, when he was still the crown prince. William II added several buildings designed in the English Tudor style, of which only the so-called “Gothic Hall” has survived. The hall was designed after the great dining hall of Christ Church, Oxford, of which William II was an alumnus.Their grandson Crown Prince William used the palace from 1858 till his death in 1879. In the 1930s the place was occasionally used by Princess Juliana. After World War II Dutch war criminals were tried in the former ballroom, some of whom were sentenced to death. Then the Ministry of Finance used the building for many years. Since restoration work was completed in 2001 the palace has been in use by the Netherlands' Council of State (Raad van State).

The Hofvijver (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɔfɛivər]; English: Court Pond) is a lake in the centre of The Hague, Netherlands. It is adjoined in the east by the Korte Vijverberg (road), in the south by the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis, in the west by the Buitenhof and in the north by the Lange Vijverberg (road). In the middle there is a small island with plants and trees which has no name, it is usually referred to as "the island in the Vijverberg".

The Kloosterkerk (or Cloister Church) is a church on the Lange Voorhout in The Hague, Netherlands. The church and its accompanying monastery were first built in 1397. The church is known today as the church where Beatrix of the Netherlands occasionally attended services.

The Council of State (Dutch: Raad van State ) is a constitutionally established advisory body in the Netherlands to the government and States General that officially consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic or military experience. It was founded in 1531, making it one of the world's oldest still-functioning state organisations.The Council of State must be consulted by the cabinet on proposed legislation before a law is submitted to parliament. The Council of State Administrative Law division also serves as one of the four highest courts of appeal in administrative matters. The King is president of the Council of State but he seldom chairs meetings. The Vice-President of the Council of State chairs meetings in his absence and is the de facto major personality of the institution. Under Dutch constitutional law, the Vice-President of the Council is acting head of state when there is no monarch such as if the royal family were to become extinct.

The Embassy of the United Kingdom in The Hague is the chief diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Embassy is located on one of the most famous streets in the Netherlands, Lange Voorhout, in the Centrum. The current British Ambassador to the Netherlands is Joanna Roper.Since the formation in 1997 of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is located in The Hague, the British Ambassador to the Netherlands has also been the UK's Permanent Representative to the OPCW.Outside The Hague, there is also a British Consulate General in Amsterdam where the senior officer is known as the Consul-General. The Embassy and Consulate General also represent the British Overseas Territories in the Netherlands.

The Lange Voorhout (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈlɑŋə voːrˈɦʌut]) is a street in the old city centre of The Hague, Netherlands. It is L-shaped and runs from Kneuterdijk in the west to Toernooiveld in the east, reaching approximately 0.47 kilometres (0.29 mi) in length.

Pulchri Studio (Latin:"For the study of beauty") is a Dutch art society, art institution and art studio based in The Hague ('s-Gravenhage), Netherlands.This institute began in 1847 at the home of painter Lambertus Hardenberg. Since 1893 the club has its residence in the villa at Lange Voorhout in The Hague. Membership is made up of painters, sculptors, photographers and art lovers, with members selected by a committee. An artist's membership allows themt to exhibit their own works in the galleries of the Company. Guests have to be invited by members.

The Old City Hall in The Hague is a Renaissance style building on the Groenmarkt near the Grote Kerk. It is the former seat of the city's government, and remains a place where residents hold civic wedding ceremonies, and where the Royal family register their family births. Other families do this at the current city hall located in the large white building on the Kalvermarkt, near the Public library.