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Why did Amsterdam’s old city hall become the Royal Palace?
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Amsterdam
Overview of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam’s old city hall, designed by Jacob van Campen, served as the seat of the city council from 1655 until 1808. The building transitioned into the Royal Palace when Louis Bonaparte—the brother of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French-appointed king of Holland—selected the structure to serve as his personal residence.12
Following this conversion in 1808, the city council relocated to the Prinsenhof. The building retained its status as an official residence for the Dutch royal family, and the Empire-style furniture installed during the Napoleonic era remained in place.21