Next to Castle de Haar stands the last tangible reminder of the old village of Haarzuilens: the Chapel. The existence of this Chapel is first mentioned around 1420. But there is a good chance that the Chapel is even older; the tower contains building remains of older date.

In the course of the 17th century, the building becomes more and more dilapidated. Baron Etienne van Zuylen decides not only to have the castle rebuilt, but at the same time also to have the Chapel restored as the Slotkapel. The whole is executed in neo-Gothic style. During the construction activities, mortal remains of, among others, ancestors of the baron are found in specially designed coffins. A spacious burial vault was constructed under the sacristy in the 1950s. Several members of the Van Zuylen family have since found their final resting place there. The tombs are inlaid with multicolored marble.
The walls are adorned with a colorful series of statues of saints, dating from various centuries.

A Van Zuylen marriage

The chapel even hosted a true Van Zuylen wedding. Marie-Hélène van Zuylen (1927-1996) was the eldest daughter of Baron Egmont van Zuylen and Baroness Marguerite Nametalla. Marie-Hélène lived with her parents at the Waldorf Astoria Towers in New York, but went to study in Paris for a while so as not to learn the language. There she met the French Count François de Nicolay (1919-1963), whom she married at De Haar in 1950. Grandfather Etienne would have been pleased, because De Nicolay was a good match! He came from a French noble family in which several relatives had held high offices at the French court ánd he had a huge château in Le Lude.

For months they had been busy preparing for this "fairy tale" wedding. The bridal gown, made in Paris, had a tight bodice of satin and a wide skirt trimmed with ten strips of precious Brussels lace, interwoven with gold thread and small fancy flowers and topped by a veil of eight meters of tulle.

A chambermaid of Baroness Marguerite was responsible for bringing this special creation to Vleuten by train. The customs in Roosendaal thought otherwise: the dress was too valuable and could not simply be imported. Only after 24 hours of consultation and payment of a deposit was the wedding dress allowed - sealed - to cross the border. After two days, the dress had to be back in France.

No expense was spared during the wedding

The couple had a wedding day that involved old-fashioned "great state. The staff at De Haar were busy polishing the floors, polishing the brass and brushing the old liveries weeks in advance. The civil wedding took place in the Main Hall and was performed by the mayor of Vleuten, Mr. J.H. van der Heiden. He read the marriage certificate in French and Dutch.
The bride and groom were able to walk from the castle to the Chapel via a flower-decorated pergola, which had been specially made for the occasion. This is where the church wedding took place.

The best French chefs prepared a feast with numerous courses. Because there were so many guests, the dinner took place in the ballroom. Journalists crowded in to shoot a nice picture of the couple. Such a society wedding did not often occur in the Netherlands!

Marry yourself in the Chapel!

Today, like Marie-Hélène, you can get married in the Chapel. The centuries-old, atmospheric Chapel is characterized by serenity and elegant simplicity. The stained glass windows, medieval statues of saints and colorful paintings create a very special atmosphere. The Chapel can seat 130 guests. All facilities are available, from atmospheric lighting to classic and appropriate furniture.

Request information about getting married using the contact form.

You can view the chapel from the outside during a castle tour. Buy your tickets here.

Want to see the inside of the chapel, too? In the fall we will open the chapel exclusively for visits for several days. Keep an eye on our page for more information!