Royal palace estate to be closed in autumn so royals can hunt
The grounds surrounding Het Loo palace near Apeldoorn will be closed from mid September to the end of December to allow the royal family to go hunting, local broadcaster Omroep Gelderland said on Wednesday.
In April, MPs passed a motion which stated the estate should be open to the public all year round. However, farm minister Carola Schouten has told MPs that the motion cannot be put into practice because king Willem-Alexander manages the estate and is free to do as he likes.
Animal rights party PvdD has been trying to prevent the autumn closure for years. It argues the estate should be kept open because it was given to the people of the Netherlands by queen Wilhelmina in 1959.
The Het Loo palace itself is currently in the middle of three-year renovation project set to cost €123m.
It was built between 1684 and 1686 for stadhouder William III and Mary II of England. It remained a royal residence until the death of queen Wilhelmina in 1962.
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