Dutch king apologises for country’s history with slavery

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

Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologised on Saturday for his country’s role in slavery and asked for forgiveness in a historic speech greeted by cheers and whoops at an event to commemorate the anniversary of the abolition of slavery.

The king’s speech followed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s apology late last year for the country’s role in the slave trade and slavery. It is part of a wider reckoning with colonial histories in the West that have been spurred in recent years by the Black Lives Matter movement. In an emotional speech, Willem-Alexander referred back to that apology as he told a crowd of invited guests and onlookers: “Today I stand before you. 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.”

The event was to commemorate the anniversary of the country abolishing slavery, amid speculation that he could offer an apology on behalf of the royal house. Slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean on July 1, 1863, but most of the enslaved labourers were forced to continue working on plantations for a further 10 years.

Saturday’s commemoration and speech mark the start of a year of events to mark the 150th anniversary of July 1, 1873. Research published last month showed that the king’s ancestors earned the modern-day equivalent of 545 million euros ($595 million) from slavery, including profits from shares that were effectively given to them as gifts.

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