Cemetery Brongerga & Belfry

A terrible disaster took place on July 14, 1711. Johan Willem Friso died in a tragic accident. The son of Maria Louise and Johan Willem Friso also died in 1751. In this cemetery, you can learn more about the tragedy of the royal family.

Johan Willem Friso and Maria Louise had only been married for 2 years when her husband died on July 14, 1711. At the Hollandsche Diepe, a gust of wind hit the prince and the chamberlain into the water. Both men drowned and could not survive the accident. The body was not found by a skipper until 8 days after the accident. Prince Friso was embalmed and transported to Leeuwarden and later also the Oranjewoud estate. Only 7 months after his death, Johan Willem Friso was also interred in the Grote or Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden. At the time that the Prince passed away, Maria Louise was pregnant, she went through a difficult time and was not quite used to her new homeland.

Willem Karel Hendrik Friso (Willem IV) also died in 1751. The son of Maria Louise and Johan Willem Friso was the first Orange to hold the position of district councilors in all regions in the Netherlands. He married Anna of Hanover, the daughter of an English king. Eight years after the death of her husband, she also passed away. At this cemetery in Brongerga, you will learn more about the death of Johan Willem Friso. The death of her husband and her son surely had consequences in the life of Maria Louise.

Also, do not forget to take a look at the bell chair. The gigantic wooden structure of the 13th century can be found next to the cemetery.