King Willem-Alexander has apologized on behalf of the Dutch state for the role that the Netherlands played in slavery. He did so in a speech at the national commemoration in the Oosterpark in Amsterdam. “Today I stand here before you. As your king and part of the government, today I make these apologies myself,” the king said. “They are intensely experienced by me with heart and soul.”
The king’s speech follows Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s (VVD) apology on behalf of the government at the end of last year for the state’s role in the slave trade and slavery. The message also had a personal tone; the king asked for “forgiveness” and said that “nothing had been done” against slavery by the governors and kings, by the Orange-Nassau family. His apology was met with loud cheers and applause. Many people present were emotional, someone from the audience shouted “finally”!
An investigation is now underway, commissioned by the king, into the role of the House of Orange-Nassau in colonial history. Although the investigation into his family has not yet been completed, the king said his relatives, although they abided by the law, were morally wrong.