Dutch Monarch Expresses Regret for Country’s Involvement in Slavery During 150th Anniversary of its Abolition

On Saturday, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands extended a heartfelt apology for his nation’s past involvement in slavery, seeking forgiveness during a historic address delivered on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Dutch territories. His words were met with cheers and applause from the assembled audience.

This follows an earlier apology from the country’s Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, who expressed regret for the nation’s participation in the slave trade last year. These acts of public contrition are part of a broader examination of Western colonial histories, a movement inspired by the Black Lives Matter campaign in recent years.

In an emotionally charged speech, King Willem-Alexander referenced the Prime Minister’s apology and said to the gathered crowd, “Today, as your King and as a member of the government, I make this apology myself. I feel the weight of the words in my heart and my soul.”

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King Willem-Alexander announced that a research project will investigate the precise role that the royal House of Orange-Nassau played in the Dutch slavery system.

“On this day of remembrance, I seek forgiveness for the glaring inaction in the face of this crime against humanity,” he further stated.

The King’s voice seemed to quiver with emotion as he finished his address, then laid a wreath at the country’s national slavery monument situated in an Amsterdam park.

Despite the King’s apologies, some individuals are calling for more substantial measures.

“Frankly, I am satisfied, but I eagerly anticipate more than just apologies, for example, reparations,” stated Doelja Refos, aged 28.

“We’re certainly not done yet,” Refos added.

Former legislator John Leerdam confessed to Dutch broadcaster NOS that he wept as the King extended his apology, commenting, “It’s a historic moment and we must recognize it.”

Slavery was abolished in Suriname and Dutch Caribbean territories on July 1, 1863, but the majority of enslaved laborers were forced to work on plantations for an additional ten years. The commemoration and speech on Saturday mark the beginning of a year-long series of events to celebrate the 150th anniversary.

Research revealed last month that the modern-day equivalent of 545 million euros ($595 million) was earned by the King’s ancestors from slavery, including profits from gifted shares.

Prime Minister Rutte, while apologizing in December, refrained from offering compensation to descendants of enslaved people. Rather, the government is setting up a 200 million-euro ($217 million) fund to address the legacy of slavery in the Netherlands and its former colonies and to enhance education about the issue.

However, this measure is not sufficient for everyone in the Netherlands. Two organizations, Black Manifesto and The Black Archives, arranged a protest march preceding the King’s speech on Saturday, advocating for “No healing without reparations.”

“Many people, including myself, my group, The Black Archives, and the Black Manifesto, argue that an apology is insufficient. It should be tied to some form of reparatory justice or reparations,” said Mitchell Esajas, director of The Black Archives.

The marchers, dressed in vibrant traditional outfits, celebrated the Surinamese abolition of slavery. Enslaved individuals were prohibited from wearing shoes and colorful clothing, according to organizers.

“On this day, as we remember our ancestors, we also feel free. We can dress as we like and show the world that we are free,” said Regina Benescia-van Windt, aged 72.

The sometimes brutal colonial history of the Netherlands has come under intensified critical examination following the murder of George Floyd, an African American man, in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, and the subsequent Black Lives Matter movement.

In 2021, a revolutionary exhibition at the national museum of art and history presented an unflinching examination of slavery in Dutch territories. The same year, a report identified Dutch involvement in slavery as a crime against humanity and associated it with ongoing institutional racism in the Netherlands.

The Dutch initially entered the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the late 1500s, becoming a significant participant by the mid-1600s. The Dutch West India Company eventually became the most significant trans-Atlantic slave trader, according to Karwan Fatah-Black, a specialist in Dutch colonial history and an assistant professor at Leiden University.

The Netherlands is not alone in offering apologies for historical abuses. In 2018, Denmark apologized to Ghana, and King Philippe of Belgium has expressed “deepest regrets” for abuses in Congo. Pope John Paul II apologized in 1992 for the church’s role in slavery. In the United States, the removal of statues of slaveholders in the South has sparked intense debates.

In April, King Charles III of the UK expressed support for investigating the monarchy’s links to slavery, following revelations that an ancestor held shares in a slave-trading company, according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.

Charles and his eldest son, Prince William, have voiced their sorrow over slavery but have yet to acknowledge the crown’s connections to the trade.

At a ceremony marking Barbados becoming a republic two years ago, Charles referenced “the darkest days of our past and the appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains our history.” English settlers employed African slaves to transform the island into a prosperous sugar colony.

King Willem-Alexander acknowledged that not all in the Netherlands support these apologies, but he called for unity.

“There’s no blueprint for the process of healing, reconciliation, and recovery,” he said. “Together, we are in uncharted territory. So let’s support and guide each other.”

Reported by Mike Corder from Ede, Netherlands.

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More about Netherlands slavery apology

• History of Slavery in the Netherlands
• Black Lives Matter Movement
• Dutch West India Company
• King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
• Abolition of Slavery
• Prime Minister Mark Rutte