Dutch King Apologizes for His Country’s Role in the Slave Trade

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July 1, 2023

By Claire Moses, New York Times

The Netherlands formally abolished slavery in its colonies in 1863, but has only recently begun to actively acknowledge its participation in the practice.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who apologized for his country’s role in slavery (Getty)

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands formally apologized on Saturday for his country’s role in the slave trade, a rare direct apology for a historical injustice by a sitting European monarch.

Willem-Alexander, who ascended to the throne in 2013, made the apology in a speech in Amsterdam at an annual commemoration of the abolition of slavery in Suriname and the Netherlands’ Caribbean colonies, which was also the start of a memorial year that celebrates the 150th anniversary of the end of the practice there.

“We carry the horrors of the slavery past with us,” the king said, adding that the consequences of the slave trade could still be felt in the form of racism in today’s society.

“They are intensely experienced by me with heart and soul,” he said about his words of apology, which were met with applause.

The king also asked for forgiveness for the “obvious lack of action against this crime against humanity” on behalf of his ancestors, who like him were members of the House of Orange, the Dutch royal family.

Find more details here.

Check out the related exhibit: Nearly Three Centuries Of Enslavement

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