The Dutch king apologizes for his country’s role in slavery on 150th anniversary of abolition

Dutch King Willem-Alexander issued an apology on the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, expressing remorse for the Netherlands’ involvement in the slave trade. The historic speech, delivered at a commemorative event, was met with cheers and applause. This apology follows Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s apology last year and reflects a broader acknowledgment of colonial histories in the West prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement.

In a deeply emotional address, King Willem-Alexander referred to the previous apology and personally asked for forgiveness from the gathered audience, stating, “Today, as your King and as a member of the government, I make this apology myself. And I feel the weight of the words in my heart and my soul.” He also announced the commissioning of a study to investigate the specific involvement of the royal House of Orange-Nassau in slavery within the Netherlands.

The king’s speech concluded with a visibly moved Willem-Alexander laying a wreath at the national slavery monument in an Amsterdam park. While slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean on July 1, 1863, many enslaved individuals were forced to continue working on plantations for another decade. This commemoration and speech marked the beginning of a year-long series of events honoring the 150th anniversary of July 1, 1873.

Recent research revealed that the king’s ancestors amassed the equivalent of 545 million euros ($595 million) through slavery, including profits from shares given to them. However, no direct compensation to descendants of enslaved individuals has been offered. Instead, the government plans to establish a 200 million-euro ($217 million) fund to address the legacy of slavery and enhance education on the subject in the Netherlands and its former colonies.

Nevertheless, some individuals and organizations, such as Black Manifesto and The Black Archives, believe that an apology alone is insufficient. They organized a protest march prior to the king’s speech, advocating for reparations and restorative justice in addition to an apology. The participants of the march wore vibrant traditional clothing, symbolizing their freedom to express their heritage and commemorate the abolition of slavery.

The Netherlands’ colonial history has faced increased scrutiny following the global attention on the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. An influential exhibition in 2021 at the national museum of art and history confronted the realities of Dutch colonial slavery. A report published that same year described Dutch involvement in slavery as a crime against humanity and linked it to ongoing institutional racism in the country.

The Dutch entered the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the late 1500s and became prominent traders by the mid-1600s, with the Dutch West India Company emerging as the largest trans-Atlantic slave trader. Similar to the Netherlands, other nations, including Denmark and Belgium, have issued apologies for their historic abuses. King Charles III of the United Kingdom has also shown support for researching the monarchy’s ties to slavery, acknowledging the need to address this aspect of history.

While recognizing that not everyone in the Netherlands supports apologies, King Willem-Alexander called for unity and emphasized the absence of a predetermined path for healing, reconciliation, and recovery. He stated, “There’s no blueprint for the process of healing, reconciliation, and recovery. Together, we are in uncharted territory. So let’s support and guide each other.”

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