Lange Voorhout Palace

Lange Voorhout Palace (Dutch: Paleis Lange Voorhout [paːˈlɛis ˈlɑŋə voːrˈɦʌut]) in The Hague was designed in 1760 by the architect Pieter de Swart for Anthony Patras (1718-1764), a deputee to the States General of the Netherlands.

Patras, born in Geneva, was a nephew of governor Abraham Patras. In 1734 Anthony arrived in Batavia in the Dutch East Indies. When his uncle, the governor, died in 1737 the young man inherited his immense fortune, the collection of books, and art. In 1738 he married a daughter of Isaac van Schinne, member of the Council of India. After the 1740 Batavia massacre he returned to the Dutch Republic. In 1743 he tried to become a member of Sloten's vroedschap, which refused to appoint him. After two years he suddenly became burgomaster of the Frisian town, succeeding Onno Zwier van Haren. He was a States General representative for this small city until his early death. (In Wijckel he bought Meerenstein () which was built for Menno van Coehoorn.) Patras died early and probably hardly lived in his new house on Lange Voorhout. His widow was forced to sell the property in 1778 and in the next years it had three different owners.

In 1796 the mansion was bought by Archibald Hope (1747-1821), a manager of the Dutch West India Company. Archibald was a cousin of Henry Hope and Jan Hope and involved in the family banking business. In 1808 his wife died. Napoleon and his wife on their travels through the First French Empire used it one night. The inventory was sold in December 1821 and lasted more than two weeks. The building was bought by Renaud Diederick James de Ginkell, 7th Earl of Athlone (1773–1823), married to a daughter of John Williams Hope.

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