Dutch Royal collection review finds colonial artefacts taken by force

THE  HAGUE--A review of the Dutch royal family’s colonial-era collection has found that dozens of artefacts were wrongfully acquired during colonial wars and military campaigns, raising new questions about ownership, restitution and how the royal collection should be handled going forward.

The findings come from an independent investigation launched in 2022 by SHVON, the foundation that manages the royal collections and is chaired by Queen Máxima. The review examined roughly 1,000 objects connected to the Netherlands’ colonial past, including items from Indonesia, Suriname and several Caribbean islands.

The collection includes weapons, textiles, jewelry and other items, many of which were collected by Queens Emma and Wilhelmina after being presented to them during official occasions or visits.

Researchers said the origin of about 200 objects was difficult to determine with certainty, especially items linked to King Willem III. However, the investigation concluded that several pieces, including weapons, were seized during colonial military operations.

Among the examples cited is a firearm that belonged to Raden Intan, the ruler of Keratuan Darah Putih, who was killed by Dutch soldiers in 1856. After his death, the weapon was given to Willem III. Researchers also identified a shield taken by Dutch soldiers from the ruler of Samalanga in 1877.

The report also noted that objects described at the time as “gifts” to the Dutch monarch during or shortly after military campaigns must be understood within the unequal power relations of colonial rule. Researchers said such gifts often reflected Dutch dominance and a broader strategy of divide and rule.

One example is a gold anklet presented to Queen Wilhelmina by the ruler of Badung, in present-day Bali. Researchers said the gift raises serious questions because Dutch forces invaded the independent kingdom shortly afterward, leading to a collective suicide by members of the local population. The anklet, according to the researchers, appeared to have been given as a final attempt to prevent Dutch aggression.

Queen Máxima welcomed the investigation, saying she was grateful for the detailed and independent research and that it would help ensure the collection is handled with care.

The findings are expected to be made available online in Dutch and English by early next year. Máxima said transparency is essential for an open conversation with communities and countries of origin.

The commission has acknowledged that the review may lead to requests for certain objects to be returned.

The findings also come against a wider background of Dutch efforts to review and return colonial-era objects that were taken by force. The Netherlands has already returned hundreds of artefacts to Indonesia in recent years and has indicated that it remains open to further restitution where objects are found to have been wrongfully acquired.

In July 2023, the Netherlands handed over nearly 500 colonial-era objects. In 2024, it returned another 288 artefacts to Indonesia, which the Dutch culture ministry said had been wrongfully taken during the colonial period.

That approach follows earlier work by Dutch institutions, including the Rijksmuseum, which acknowledged in 2020 that at least 4,000 objects in its collection had clear links to the Netherlands’ colonial empire. Those objects include items connected to Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, reflecting a colonial period that stretched roughly three centuries from the mid-17th century.

At the time, Dutch authorities were already exploring how to trace the rightful owners of objects seized during colonial rule, while recognizing that ownership can be difficult to establish after centuries of displacement, war, forced transfer and incomplete records.

Among the examples cited in that wider discussion were a cannon once linked to a Sinhalese king and a diamond taken from an Indonesian sultan. The Rijksmuseum welcomed plans to address what an independent commission described as the historical wrong of continuing to keep valued objects taken by force during the colonial era.

The museum said the process involved bringing in new knowledge, voices and expertise to better understand the history of these objects and to deal more honestly with the colonial past.

Seen in that context, the royal collection review is part of a broader reckoning in the Netherlands over colonial-era possessions, how they were obtained, who they belong to and whether they should remain in Dutch hands.

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