Waalse Kerk - Oranje route
Due to the renovation of Museum Prinsenhof Delft, the Waalse Kerk is temporarily closed.
The church was originally the chapel of the St Agatha convent. When William of Orange lived there, it was used as the court chapel.
On 3 October 1574, William of Orange learned during a service that Leiden had been relieved after a siege of almost a year - with a short interruption. He was so pleased that he immediately had this announced from the pulpit.
Tomb
The chapel contains a second burial vault of the Oranges in Delft. In this crypt with its entrance in the middle of the church, five of William of Orange's grandchildren are buried. They are Emanuel II of Portugal and four of his sisters, all children of Emilia of Orange and the Portuguese pretender to the throne, Emanuel I.
Emilia of Nassau (1569-1629),...
The church was originally the chapel of the St Agatha convent. When William of Orange lived there, it was used as the court chapel.
On 3 October 1574, William of Orange learned during a service that Leiden had been relieved after a siege of almost a year - with a short interruption. He was so pleased that he immediately had this announced from the pulpit.
Tomb
The chapel contains a second burial vault of the Oranges in Delft. In this crypt with its entrance in the middle of the church, five of William of Orange's grandchildren are buried. They are Emanuel II of Portugal and four of his sisters, all children of Emilia of Orange and the Portuguese pretender to the throne, Emanuel I.
Emilia of Nassau (1569-1629), one of the daughters of William of Orange and Anna of Saxony, had married Emanuel of Portugal in 1597. He was the son of Don Antonio, prior of Crato, who was king of Portugal for a short time. The couple settled in Delft, where nine of their 10 children were born. They first lived in De Huyter's house, now the Gemeenlandshuis of Delfland, then lived for some time on Oude Delft between Schoolstraat and Bagijnhof.
In 1603, they moved into part of the Prinsenhof. Emanuel was a spendthrift, so the couple was constantly short of money. In 1625, when Emanuel chose the Spanish side, they parted ways. The daughters left with their mother for Geneva, but returned to Delft after her death. They moved back into a part of the Prinsenhof that became known as 'The House of the Princesses of Portugal'. They were buried in the court chapel.
After the death of William of Orange, the chapel was put into use by the Waalse Hervormde Gemeente. Since 2014, it has been part of Museum Prinsenhof Delft. The chapel cannot be visited temporarily due to the renovation of Museum Prinsenhof Delft.