Dutch King orders probe of the royals’ colonial history

Dutch King orders probe of the royals’ colonial history.

 

The role of the royal family in the Netherlands’ colonial past will be the subject of an independent study, according to the Dutch government’s information service (RVD), which King Willem-Alexander has commissioned.

 

The study, which is expected to take three years and cover the time from the late 16th century to the ‘post-colonial’ present, will be conducted by three Dutch historians and a human rights specialist, the RVD said without going into further detail.

 

To comprehend historical facts and developments and to see their impact on people and communities as clearly and honestly as possible, one must have a thorough understanding of the past, according to the king.

 

The Dutch government plans to apologise for its complicity in slavery during the country’s colonial past later this month. It also plans to commit about 200 million euros ($210 million) to a fund that raises awareness of the colonial power’s complicity in slavery as well as 27 million euros to the opening of a slavery museum.

 

The announcement comes in response to a last-year advisory panel’s recommendation that the government acknowledge the transatlantic slave trade’s role in crimes against humanity.

 

Earlier this year, the Dutch central bank issued an apology for its involvement in the slave trade and announced it would support initiatives to increase public awareness of slavery and lessen its negative effects.

 

From the 17th century until the end of the 19th century, when slavery was abolished in the Netherlands, the Dutch played a significant part in the global slave trade.