Dutch king says he 'will not shy away' from slavery history on rare royal visit to Suriname

Dutch King Vows Uncomfortable Truths About Slavery Past During Historic Visit to Suriname

The Dutch monarch, Willem-Alexander, has pledged not to shy away from the painful realities of the country's colonial past during a three-day visit to former colony Suriname. The trip comes as the small South American nation marks 50 years of independence from the Netherlands.

During his meeting with President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons on Monday, King Willem-Alexander acknowledged the lasting impact of slavery on the descendants of enslaved people and Indigenous communities in Suriname. He committed to engaging in meaningful dialogue with them, an effort that some observers see as a crucial step towards reconciliation.

Slavery was formally abolished in Suriname in 1863 but persisted until 1873 under a transition period. The Dutch Empire's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade is estimated to have resulted in around 600,000 Africans being forcibly shipped to the Americas and the Caribbean during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The king's visit is a rare opportunity for members of the royal family to engage with their colonial legacy. The Dutch royal family has come under scrutiny over its financial ties to slavery, with estimates suggesting that they earned €545 million ($632 million) between 1675 and 1770 from the colonies.

Last year, King Willem-Alexander announced plans to ditch a golden coach traditionally used on state occasions due to its association with slavery. The move was seen as a positive step towards acknowledging the country's dark past.

As Suriname looks to capitalize on newly discovered oil reserves, the visit highlights the need for the Netherlands to take ownership of its colonial history and work towards healing historical wounds.

I'm still thinking about that golden coach thing... I mean, it was a good move or whatever but now King Willem-Alexander is talking about uncomfortable truths and I'm like yeah finally about time he does. Slavery past is super problematic for the Dutch royal family's image and reputation. And you know what's even more wild? They made that €545 million ($632 million) off enslaved people it's crazy how some fams can make money off other humans.

So, I guess this visit to Suriname is a big deal because it shows the Netherlands is finally acknowledging its colonial past and trying to make amends. But at the same time, I'm thinking about how long it took them to get here... 50 years of independence feels like a pretty small acknowledgement when you consider how many people were affected by slavery .

What do you guys think? Do you feel like this visit is a step in the right direction or just more of the same old apology tour?

Ugh , I'm still waiting for a proper forum thread to discuss this kind of serious stuff... Can't even start a decent convo in this chat ... Anyway, about the Dutch King's visit... it's long overdue . Like, 50 years of independence and still grappling with the aftermath? It's not just about reconciliation, it's about owning up to the atrocities that were committed under your country's name ... And btw, €545 million in slave trade profits? That's some crazy cash... but where's the accountability? Not sure if this visit will do much to address the systemic issues or just be a symbolic gesture .

I'm really glad to see the Dutch king being all about being honest about their slavery history . It's crazy how these kinds of visits can be super rare, but I guess it's a step in the right direction for Suriname and the Netherlands to acknowledge the past and work towards making things right. I mean, 600k people were forcibly brought to the Americas... that's just wild and heartbreaking . And on top of that, the royal family earned millions from slavery - like, what even is that?! It's good that they're trying to use their platform for good, but it's also important for them to take action and not just be all words . We should definitely see some concrete changes come out of this visit .

man... 600k ppl forced into slavery that's just insane . King Willem-Alexander is finally acknowledging the pain he nation caused but it's about time, ya know? like, what took 'em so long? anyway, I hope he's gonna make some real changes and not just be all talk, you feel?

the fact that they earned 632m from slavery... wow, that's wild . I mean, I guess it's good to see the royal fam taking responsibility for their mistakes but still, €545m is a lot of cash . I wonder how many people they could've helped with that kinda money instead of profiting off suffering.

anyway, Suriname getting oil reserves... that's some big news . gotta hope they use it to lift up the community and not just profit off it like their Dutch counterparts did. let's see what happens, I guess .

Imagine a big pie - that's what the Dutch royal family's colonial legacy is like. It's been broken into pieces over time, but some still hurt.

The king's visit is like taking off the blinders - acknowledging the pain and suffering of Suriname's past. It's not going to be easy, but it's a start.

I think the Dutch royal family needs to be more transparent about their financial ties to slavery . The €545 million they earned is a huge number, and it's only right that they own up to it.

The visit also shows that even 50 years after independence, the Netherlands still has some work to do . Reconciliation won't happen overnight, but if the king is willing to listen and learn, maybe that's the first step towards healing those historical wounds .

It's not going to be comfortable for everyone, but sometimes we need to face the uncomfortable truths . And who knows, it might just lead to some positive changes in the end .

just hope that king willem-alexander's trip is more than just a photo op... gotta be some real action behind those words he's talking about 600k africans being shipped out, thats some heavy stuff... think its cool that the royal family is finally owning up to their financial ties to slavery tho but what about reparations? or actual restitution? that's the hard part

this is like totally needed. Dutch king talkin about slavery is not a surprise but still it's good that they finally do. I mean, 50 years of independence and they're just now gettin' real about the past? kinda like us, right? We should be grateful we don't have to deal with the same colonial messes over here.

I'm glad they're tryin' to make amends though. It's about time. They need to own up to their financial ties too, it's not just about sayin' sorry. Like, how much money did they really make off our ancestors? that's the question.

I think it's about time Willem-Alexander owns up to the Dutch monarchy's involvement in slavery The fact that they made over €500m from the colonies is, like, totally unacceptable And I love how he's committing to "meaningful dialogue" with the descendants of enslaved people - it's about bloody time! But what really gets me is how the royal family can just swoop in and acknowledge their past misdeeds without actually doing anything concrete Like, where's the action plan?

The Dutch King showing some courage by talking about slavery is a good start . It's like he's finally acknowledging that his country did some pretty messed up stuff in the past . But, I mean, 50 years of independence and they're still dealing with the aftermath? That's like, really not moving forward on this whole legacy thing . Still, at least they're trying to have a conversation about it, which is more than some other countries are willing to do . And, I guess it's kind of cool that he's getting all sorts of pushback from people who are like, "Hey, yeah, this stuff was bad" . Maybe it'll actually lead to some positive change... we can only hope .