King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands will make a formal apology for slavery
The King of the Netherlands is expected to apologize for slavery and colonialism after research revealed that the Dutch royal family earned the equivalent of more than £800 million from trade and the conquest of subject territories.
King Willem-Alexander is expected to apologize on July 1, when the country will celebrate the 160th anniversary of the end of slavery on what is known as Keti Koti, or Emancipation Day.
The Princes of Orange, including William III, who became King of England, helped establish a policy of exploitation, slavery and forced labor in Asia and the Caribbean, according to a study commissioned by the Dutch government.
The new study, titled ‘State and Slavery’, was presented to MPs last week. It found that the House of Orange made the equivalent of €1 billion (£853 million) in today’s money during the Dutch slave trade and era of colonialism.
It comes after King Charles backed a groundbreaking British investigation into the monarchy’s involvement in the slave trade.
The inquiry is expected to analyze past rulers’ involvement with slave-trading entities, including the Royal African Company and its deputy governor, Edward Colston, whose statue was thrown into Bristol harbor by anti-racism protesters in 2020.
The King of the Netherlands is expected to apologize for slavery and colonialism after research revealed that the Dutch royal family earned the equivalent of more than £800 million from trade and the conquest of subject territories. King Willem-Alexander (pictured above with his wife Queen Maxima) is expected to formally apologize on July 1
Hanke Bruins Slot, the Dutch interior minister, said the findings of the new study presented a “confrontational and deeply painful picture” of the involvement of the early Dutch state in an “unprecedented scale of slave trade and enslavement.” according to The Times.
She added that the “story” should have been told “earlier”.
William III became King of England after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which forced the absolutist James II from the throne.
The Dutch prince was invited by Parliament to become the ruler of Great Britain and invaded England with the blessing of MPs.
It was not until 1863 that the Netherlands abolished colonial slavery, making it one of the last countries to do so.
While Britain banned the slave trade in the British Empire in 1807, slavery itself continued in the British colonies until 1833, when it was made illegal by an Act of Parliament.
Wealth produced by the slave trade fueled the Dutch “golden age” in the 16th and 17th centuries, when trade, science, art and commerce flourished in the country.
Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, then formed the heart of the global economic system.
Founded in 1602, the Dutch East India Company was the world’s first multinational company and established colonies all over the world.
Raymond Schutz, a historian who contributed to the new report, estimated that William III and his successors “earned 3.04 million guilders in colonial profits.”
Speaking to Algemeen Dagblad, Mr Schutz said this amounted to €545 million (over £464 million) today.
Another €502 million (£428 million) was earned by the Princes of Orange for their role in conquering territory in Asia and the Caribbean.
Esther Captain, another historian involved in the new study, said the clear link between the state and the royal family with colonialism justified the need for national self-examination.
The Princes of Orange, including William III (above), who became King of England, helped establish a policy of exploitation, slavery and forced labor in Asia and the Caribbean, according to a study commissioned by the Dutch government
A painting by GS Smithard depicting the landing of Jan van Riebeeck in what is now Cape Town in South Africa in the 17th century
The Dutch colonies included the Dutch East Indies in what is now Indonesia, along with the African nation of Suriname and several Caribbean islands.
“This shows that it may be time to pluck up courage and see if we can adjust that self-image of the Netherlands as a tolerant, democratic trading nation,” Kapitein told NPO Radio 1.
The Princes of Orange oversaw the Dutch legislature, then known as the ‘states general’ and commanded the army.
They also played a key role in establishing both the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the West India Company, the main organizations responsible for slavery.
Buckingham Palace announced in April that it was cooperating with an investigation into the involvement of the British monarchy in the slave trade.
The king would take the matter ‘very seriously’.
Charles’ support for the research, conducted by the University of Manchester with historic royal palaces, was welcomed by researchers and campaigners.
An image of Dutch soldier John Gabriel Stedman commanding a group of slaves
But others feared it could open the door for the royal family and government facing demands to pay compensation or reparations for their role in the slave trade and colonialism.
The investigation began last October and only came to light after a document emerged showing that £1,000 worth of shares in the Royal African Company had been transferred from Colston to William III in 1689.
The company shipped up to 150,000 enslaved people from Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean.
BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan, who quit her job and paid £100,000 in reparations after learning of her own family’s links to slavery, said Charles should apologize for the royal family’s past involvement in the slave trade.