A historical study has found that the Dutch royal house benefited from the country’s colonial policies in past centuries and helped the slave trade to survive. The study, commissioned by King Willem-Alexander and conducted by Leiden University, indicated that the House of Orange-Nassau "actively supported Dutch colonialism for centuries, but only rarely determined colonial policy," according to a statement from the university published on Friday.
Historians and human rights experts concluded after a three-year study, which examined the period from 1600 to the present, that "the involvement of the House of Orange-Nassau was wholehearted and without any real reservations." The research stated, "the House of Orange shares responsibility for the survival over the centuries of the Dutch slave trade and slavery," noting that most rulers showed no objections to slavery.
King Willem-Alexander expressed that he was personally affected by the study's "explicit" conclusions during a speech at the research presentation. He stated, "It is a painful and confronting conclusion. A conclusion that affects me, even though I am three generations removed," adding that the effects of colonialism and slavery are still felt today, with ongoing discrimination and economic exploitation.
The study also revealed that the royal family profited substantially from the colonial system, particularly from trade in the Dutch East Indies, now known as Indonesia. In the 19th century, profits amounted to approximately $650 million in modern terms, according to the researchers. However, the royal family earned "almost nothing" from the slave trade.
The Dutch monarch, who apologized in 2023 for his ancestors’ lack of action against slavery, emphasized their lack of "counter-current leadership" during colonialism. The House of Orange has ruled the Netherlands since the late 16th century, initially as "stadtholders" and later as the royal house when the Netherlands became a monarchy.
The findings may reignite discussions on reparations in the Netherlands. The Dutch government issued an apology in 2022, acknowledging the state’s responsibility for transatlantic slavery, with King Willem-Alexander apologizing the following year. However, the government ruled out reparations, instead establishing a 200 million euro ($238 million) fund for social initiatives, which anti-racism advocates have criticized as inadequate.
The National Institute for the Dutch Slavery Past and Heritage (NiNsee) praised the king for commissioning the study, suggesting it should lead to further actions. NiNsee director Bianca Groen Gallant stated, "Research impacts society when the new insights into the past contribute to awareness, dialogue, corrections and additions to our national history in the school curriculum and the conversation about responsibility and reparatory justice." The Dutch played a significant role in the global slave trade from the 17th century until the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands in the second half of the 19th century.