Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Enter the hall, climb the stairs, and gape up at one of the largest painted ceilings in
Europe—112 feet long. It's a big propaganda scene, glorifying the building's founders,
Queen Mary II and King William III (who, as a Protestant monarch, had recently trounced
the Catholic French King Louis XIV in a pivotal battle). Crane your neck—or use the
clever wheeled mirrors—to examine the scene. In the center are William and Mary. Under
his foot, William is crushing a dark figure with a broken sword...Louis XIV. William is
handing a red cap (representing liberty) to the woman on the right, who holds the reins
of a white horse (symbolizing Europe). On the left, a white-robed woman hands him an
olive branch, a sign of peace. The message: William has granted Europe liberty by sav-
ing it from the tyranny of Louis XIV. Below the royal couple, the Spirit of Architecture
shows them the plans for this very building (commemorating the sad fact that Mary died
before its completion). Ringing the central image are the four seasons (represented by Zo-
diac signs), the four virtues, and—at the top and bottom—a captured Spanish galleon and
a British man-of-war battleship.
