THE DUTCH KING Willem-Alexander himself commissioned an independent investigation into the role of his family in the Dutch colonial past. Sixty scholars delved into the history of the House of Orange-Nassau for four years, from 1600 to 2025. The result has been presented in five books and paints an unedifying – but not surprising – picture of the royal involvement in colonialism.
The general conclusion: the Oranges have made a lot of money from their colonial past. The vast majority came from the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. The Oranges have benefited from colonial exploitation ‘with conviction and without reservations’ for centuries. They were hardly critical of slavery and other forms of unfree labor.
Willem-Alexander called the findings at the presentation “harrowing and confrontational”. It touches him that his ancestors did not show ‘contrarian leadership’ and thus could possibly have made a difference. Nicely said, but oh well. It was a time when European powers were expanding their power overseas and fighting each other. The more colonies, the greater the international status. The House of Orange also derived prestige from this as a royal house.
The study contains a remarkable financial comment regarding Suriname. Slavery barely filled the royal coffers. Of the converted almost 576 million euros, approximately 566 million came from the Dutch East Indies. The research immediately puts an end to any fallacious conclusion from this. The fact that the House of Orange earned little from slavery was not due to principled or moral objections. It simply didn’t work out financially, just as not every modern-day gold seeker is fortunate.
It does not matter for Suriname that the personal coffers of the Oranjes did not ring so loudly here. It is important that the Netherlands, with the king as head of state, has indeed made a lot of money from colonial exploitation in the West.
The colonial past therefore remains more than a matter of historical accounting for the royal family. Willem-Alexander now talks about working on “connection, healing and reconciliation”. This will not be achieved by mere fine words. This will also require looking at the consequences of the colonial past that still have an impact. Restoration is in order for the entire colonial past: from the expulsion of indigenous people and slavery to the exploitation and oppression of indentured servants.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has already announced that there will be no new reparations following the investigation into the colonial role of the Oranges. After all, a program of two hundred million euros has already been earmarked for 2022, after the apology for the history of slavery. The Netherlands wants to get rid of it that cheaply.
Whatever it ends up being, Willem-Alexander himself has opened the door to his family’s colonial past and has faced the outcome. Putting on the royal colonial penitential garment is in itself a big step in recognizing the suffering suffered. This significantly reduces the distance at the negotiating table.
