King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands apologized today, Saturday, for his country's historical involvement in slavery and its lasting impacts to this day. The king made this statement in Amsterdam, during the 160th anniversary of the legal abolition of slavery in the Netherlands, including its former colonies in the Caribbean.
King Willem said, "On this day when we remember the history of the Netherlands in slavery, I ask for forgiveness for this crime against humanity," adding that racism in Dutch society remains a problem and that not everyone would support his apology.
Amid cheers and applause from thousands of attendees at the National Slavery Monument, he affirmed that although "times have changed...the chains have indeed been broken." This apology comes as part of a broader reconsideration of the Netherlands' colonial past, including its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and the slavery practiced in its former colonies in Asia.
King Willem had previously issued an apology in Indonesia in 2020 for the "excessive violence" during Dutch colonial rule.
