Response from His Majesty King Willem-Alexander at the presentation of the results of the independent investigation into the role of the House of Orange-Nassau in the colonial history of the Netherlands.

Response from His Majesty King Willem-Alexander at the presentation of the results of the independent investigation into the role of the House of Orange-Nassau in the colonial history of the Netherlands.

Professor Oostindie, ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to thank you, Professor Oostindie, the members of the committee of inquiry and all the researchers involved from the bottom of my heart for the research you have carried out and for the publications I have just received.

Five sturdy books! You have done your job thoroughly – very thoroughly.

When I initiated this research at the end of 2022, I had a few starting points:

The investigation must be absolutely independent.

It must be thorough and scientific. The spade deep into the ground.

And its results must be made available to everyone.

Why is this so important?

Because I am convinced that knowledge of the past is crucial to understanding the present.

Only if we honestly face and feel the past - including all the divisions and sufferings - can we lay a foundation of trust under a shared future.

Without acknowledging what happened, we will not move forward.

I feel a responsibility towards society and descendants of enslaved people to provide clarity about the role my family played in colonial history.

This comprehensive research conducted at Leiden University provides that clarity. And I am very grateful to everyone involved for that.

Your findings are unvarnished and penetrating.

I have previously reflected on the role of the House of Orange-Nassau in colonial history and slavery. And on the obvious lack of action of stadtholders and kings, who did nothing about it.

This research confirms that.

But you add even more.

You show that colonialism and slavery were actively supported by stadtholders and kings, including consent to the suppression of resistance.

In doing so, they bore joint responsibility for its survival.

From the reign of my grandmother, the picture tilts. Queen Juliana and Queen Beatrix developed a strong commitment to postcolonial communities. You show that too.

But in the centuries before that, stadtholders and kings supported the colonial system, including exploitation and violence.

This made them children of their time. These were the prevailing views at the time, in the Netherlands and throughout Europe.

But this does not detract from the observation that 'contrarian leadership' was lacking, where that might have made a difference.

That is a poignant and confrontational conclusion. A conclusion that touches me, even though I am from three generations later.

I know that there are many watching with us right now who still feel the impact of the slavery past in 2026 and carry the pain with them. I feel very connected to them.

I embrace the results of your research. For me, your work is not a conclusion, but an incentive. I can't change the past. But I can make a positive contribution to the present and to the future to the best of my ability. That conviction runs like a thread through my life and my Kingship.

The initiative for this research fits into that framework. We need to be aware of our own history in order to learn from it and move forward together.

We know that the consequences of colonialism and slavery are still being felt in today's society. Discrimination and economic exploitation are unfortunately the order of the day, despite Article 1 of the Constitution.

For me, your research, with its uncomfortable results, is an extra incentive to continue to give my full strength to what I swore at my inauguration. Namely to protect the freedom and rights of all Dutch people and all residents.

Together with the Queen, I will continue to work for connection, healing and reconciliation.

The historical perspective you offer is essential in this respect. Once again, my sincere thanks for your in-depth work.

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