Golden Carriage arrives at Amsterdam Museum after restoration

After a restoration that took over five years, the Golden Carriage was hoisted into the Amsterdam Museum's courtyard during the early hours of Thursday morning. The controversial Royal vehicle will be exhibited at the museum for the next eight months.

A crane was used to hoist the carriage from the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, over the museum buildings and into the courtyard, NOS reports. The operation took about two hours, finishing at 2:45 a.m.

The Amsterdam Museum buildings used to be an orphanage, the Burgerweeshuis. The children who lived in the orphanage embroidered the cushions of the Golden Carriage. 

The Golden Carriage was given to Queen Wilhelmina by the residents of Amsterdam in 1898, when she was inaugurated at the age of 18. Over 1,200 craftsmen worked on the carriage, including the children who lived in the Burgerweeshuis. Over the past years, the carriage sparked a great deal of controversy, specifically surrounding colonialist imagery depicted on its panels. The side panel called Tribute to the Colonies in particular is considered insensitive and racist by many.

Since 1903, the Golden Carriage has mainly be used for the Royals' traditional tour through The Hague on Prinsjesdag, or Budget Day, every year in September. During the restoration, King Willem-Alexander instead used the Glass Coach, which dates from 1826. The Royal House has yet to make a decision on what will happen with the Golden Carriage after the exhibit at the Amsterdam Museum. 

Het is eindelijk zover! Vanaf nu kun jij je toegangsticket bemachtigen voor de langverwachte tentoonstelling ‘De Gouden Koets’ in het Amsterdam Museum! De tentoonstelling opent op 18 juni, maar tickets zijn nu al verkrijgbaar: https://t.co/dNnpeu7gv5#AmsterdamMuseum #GoudenKoets pic.twitter.com/QZ01j1WMNW

— Amsterdam Museum (@AmsterdamMuseum) June 8, 2021