Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologizes for country’s role in slavery

The king of the Netherlands issued a sweeping apology Saturday for his country’s historic role in the slave trade.

“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,” King Willem-Alexander offered in a statement.

“But for me, there is another personal dimension,” the king continued. “Slavery and the slave trade are recognized as a crime against humanity. And the Stadholders and Kings of the House of Orange-Nassau did nothing to stop it.”

The apology came on the 160th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands and its colonial possessions. His comments came during the nation’s annual Keti Koti Festival — which commemorates the abolition of slavery.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte issued a similar apology for the country’s past transgressions in December.

“It is true that nobody alive today bears any personal guilt for slavery…(however) the Dutch state bears responsibility for the immense suffering that has been done to those that were enslaved and their descendants,” Rutte said.

Rutte, however, has refused to offer reparations, in defiance of a 2021 advisory panel recommendation, CNN reported.