Dutch royal house was involved in colonial exploitation, study shows

A three-year study by Dutch historians and human rights experts has revealed the House of Orange-Nassau's full cooperation with colonial policies and the survival of the Dutch slave trade throughout centuries. The research found that most rulers of the Dutch monarchy showed no objections to slavery, benefiting from the Netherlands' colonial policies in past centuries and aiding the survival of the Dutch slave trade.

The study, commissioned by King Willem-Alexander, concluded that the Dutch royal house was wholly and without reservations involved in colonial exploitation. The House of Orange has ruled the Netherlands since the late 16th century, first as stadtholders and later as the royal house after the Netherlands became a monarchy, overseeing vast colonies in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.

King Willem-Alexander acknowledged the Dutch state's responsibility for transatlantic slavery in 2022, apologizing for it in 2023. However, the government ruled out reparations, only creating a €200 million fund for social initiatives, which anti-racism campaigners deemed insufficient. The National Institute for the Dutch Slavery Past and Heritage praised the king for funding the study but called for further action.

The research highlights that the Dutch played a significant role in the global slave trade until the Netherlands abolished slavery in the late 19th century, with ships estimated to have trafficked around 600,000 people into slavery. The study found that the royal family profited substantially from the colonial system, especially from the Dutch East Indies, modern-day Indonesia, where profits amounted to around $650 million in modern terms.