Dutch King apologizes for slavery on 150th emancipation anniversary.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander Offers Apology on Anniversary of Abolishing Slavery

In commemoration of the anniversary of the country’s abolishing of slavery, Dutch King Willem-Alexander offered a heartfelt apology over the weekend. July 1 marked the 150th anniversary of the official end to the use of slavery across the European nation and its colonies, although some continued to be enslaved in the years following.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Apology

Last year, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte made history by offering the first apology from a Netherlands’s head of state. However, this year, it was the King himself who took the stage to express his remorse.

“Today I stand before you. Today, as your King and as a member of the government, I make this apology myself. And I feel the weight of the words in my heart and my soul,” Willem-Alexander said while becoming emotional. “But today, on this day of remembrance, I ask forgiveness for the clear failure to act in the face of this crime against humanity.”

The Dark History of Dutch Slavery

During the 250 years slavery existed in the country, the Dutch exported roughly 500,000 people from the African continent across the Atlantic, and another 500,000 to its colonies in Dutch Guiana, today known as Suriname. The magnitude of this atrocity cannot be understated.

“There’s no blueprint for the process of healing, reconciliation, and recovery,” Willem-Alexander said. “Together, we are in uncharted territory. So let’s support and guide each other.”

Willem-Alexander has been the king since 2013, when his mother, then-Queen Beatrix, abdicated the throne to him after ruling since 1980. He was the first male-born royal heir since 1850.

When Rutte issued his apology, he also announced a $217 million fund toward initiatives to raise awareness of slavery’s legacy.

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