Royal Palace - Honeymoon Edition

This special Delft Blue KLM miniature depicts the Royal Palace Amsterdam. From 1986 onwards, KLM presented the palace to newlywed couples beginning their honeymoon on a KLM Royal Class flight.

A special honeymoon gift from KLM

In addition to its well-known numbered miniature houses, KLM commissioned several special Delft Blue editions. The Royal Palace had a particularly memorable purpose: it was presented to newlyweds travelling with KLM on their honeymoon.

This gave the miniature a very different meaning from the regular numbered houses. Rather than forming part of the standard numbered collection, the palace was associated with a special occasion in the passengers’ lives.

The Royal Palace Amsterdam

The palace is situated on Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam. It was originally built as the city hall for the burgomasters and magistrates of Amsterdam.

The celebrated architect Jacob van Campen, who also contributed to the construction of Huis ten Bosch and Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, took charge of the project in 1648.

The entire building was constructed of white stone. Over the centuries, weathering and pollution changed the appearance of the exterior so dramatically that little of the original white colour remained visible.

The building was one of the most ambitious civic projects of the Dutch Golden Age. It was first occupied in 1655, although construction and finishing work continued afterwards.

In the early nineteenth century, the former city hall became a royal palace. Today, the Royal Palace Amsterdam is used by the Dutch Royal Family for official receptions, state visits, award ceremonies and other ceremonial occasions.

Different versions

Several versions of the honeymoon edition are known. The earliest examples feature an octagonal tower. Some have all eight tower windows painted blue, while another variation has six blue windows and two unpainted windows.

Later versions were produced with a hexagonal tower. Differences in the base, decoration and markings on the underside distinguish the various versions and make them especially interesting to collectors.

A special KLM edition

The original honeymoon edition is not part of the regular numbered series of KLM houses. Its unusual distribution and the existence of several historical versions have made the Royal Palace a popular collectible among enthusiasts of KLM special editions.

Address of the original building

Royal Palace Amsterdam
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 147
1012 RJ Amsterdam
The Netherlands

About this KLM special

• Edition: Honeymoon Edition
• Building: Royal Palace Amsterdam
• Address: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 147, Amsterdam
• Architect: Jacob van Campen
• Construction started: 1648
• First issued: 1986
• Presented to: newlywed couples travelling on their honeymoon in KLM Royal Class
• Design: Delft Blue miniature