King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has officially apologised for his country’s involvement in the slave trade.
The Dutch monarch conveyed his “personal and intense” regret at a national event on Saturday.
“Today, as your king and a member of the government, I apologise”, he declared. This momentous occasion coincided with the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in former Dutch colonies, remembered as the “Nationale Herdenking Slavernijverleden”.
Even though Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, had issued an apology last year on behalf of the Netherlands – a statement that implicitly included the king – this Saturday marked the first instance of the monarch personally expressing remorse.
Willem-Alexander highlighted the progress made but underscored the extensive journey ahead, stating, “a start has been made, there remains a long way to go.”
Belgium’s Parallel Path
Like the Netherlands, Belgium has a historical role in colonial atrocities, notably in Congo under the rule of King Leopold II, where millions of Congolese people died or were subjected to brutal exploitation.
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Despite growing calls for an official apology, neither the Belgian government nor the reigning monarch, King Philippe, have issued formal apologies to date.
However, in a historical first in 2020, King Philippe expressed his ‘deepest regrets’ for these acts of violence and cruelty.
Last year, following more than two years of work by a special committee on Belgium’s colonial past, Federal MPs failed to reach an agreement on giving formal apologies to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
