On Friday 2 October 2026, a research commission led by Professor Gert Oostindie presented the results of a three-year investigation into the role of the Dutch royal family (the House of Orange) in the colonial history of the Netherlands. The investigation, resulting in five books, addressed the role of the House of Orange from 1600 until today. It showed that the House, until late Queen Wilhelmina who ruled until 1948, actively supported the Dutch colonial enterprise. They legitimised colonial wars and violent oppression, and did not question the slave trade, nor did they actively support abolition. With the exception of King Wilhelm I, however, the House of Orange never set the course for colonial policy. Nevertheless, the commission found that they did profit from the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and West India Company (WIC) with approximately half a billion euros in today’s currency.
The commission concluded that the House bears some responsibility for Dutch colonialism and the harms it produced. These harms include the murdering of 15,000 inhabitants of the Indonesian Banda islands to install a plantation economy, the forced displacement of between 660,000 and 1 million enslaved people to Indonesia, and the use of extreme violence during the colonial war between 1945-1949, long euphemistically called ‘police actions’. Colonialism also contributed to a system of racial inequality, oppression and white superiority, supported by the House of Orange. It was not until Queen Juliana, grandmother of King Willem-Alexander, that the House actively opposed the violence in Indonesia and started engaging with the postcolonial communities on a more equal footing.
A groundbreaking investigation
It is the first time that a royal family commissions research into its own involvement in colonialism. The royal family paid for the investigation, although the commission guaranteed absolute independence. It had access to a wide range of archives and only presented the finalised report to the King, who could not change its content.
Other royal families have so far been more reluctant to seek truth or offer apologies. For instance, the British King Charles, though open to discuss the issue of slavery, will not formally apologise for ‘the darkest days’ of Britain’s past during his upcoming Caribbean visit. The rare existing government apologies often remain limited to isolated colonial injustices, such as for the killing of the Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba by the Belgian prime minister, or entail recognition but not apology, like for French violence in Cameroon’s independence struggle.
The Dutch King fully accepted the findings and said he is affected by his ancestors’ lack of action to oppose colonial violence and oppression. He also stated he will continue to work towards ‘connection, healing and reconciliation’.
Age of apology
Although the Dutch colonial past was long fondly remembered, for its so-called ‘VOC-mentality’ characterised by a dynamic and international entrepreneurial spirit, public attitudes have drastically shifted in the last decade. In fact, in March 2020 King Willem-Alexander had already expressed regret and apologies for the violence committed during the colonial war.
Those apologies are part of a global trend since the end of the Cold War, sometimes called the ‘age of apology’, where apologies for human rights violations became increasingly common. Apologies were for instance offered for Second World War crimes, but also for violence and oppression of a country’s own population, like the Canadian government’s apologies to the country’s First Nations population.
The Netherlands has seen its own age of apology, related specifically to its involvement in slavery and the slave trade. From 2021 onwards, over 20 apologies have been offered by Dutch cities, provinces, banks, the central government and the King. These apologies were often preceded by historical investigations into the specific actor’s involvement.
These investigations showed how wide sectors of Dutch society had benefited from slavery, either directly – for instance through ownership of plantations or investment in the VOC and WIC – or indirectly – through the production of ships and their equipment, and the processing of colonial goods like coffee and sugar.
Beyond symbolic recognition
The apologies offered based on these historical insights are important, as they symbolise a shift from ignoring the dark pages of Dutch history to acknowledging them. At the same time, their significance can be questioned. My own research showed that most apologisers hoped that their words could help to improve mutual understanding among the population, promote dialogue and provide a step towards healing and reconciliation. This intention was echoed by the King’s response to the report on 2 October.
Nevertheless, research on apologies and symbolic reparations showed that to be truly transformative, they must go beyond symbolic recognition and include concrete steps towards repair of the harm done. This promise of repair however proved underwhelming in the case of the slavery apologies. If next steps were already mentioned, they mostly consisted of vague plans for public education or public dialogues, but stayed far from transforming the system of racial and socio-economic inequality created by slavery.
Perspectives of the affected communities
A missing element in most of the reports and apologies offered so far, including the report recently presented, are the perspectives of the communities affected by colonialism or slavery. This may seem logical, as the reports are mostly based on archival research. Yet most research also recognises the ongoing legacies of historical injustices, for instance in terms of present-day socio-economic inequalities and racism.
Perspectives of descendants of communities affected by slavery and colonialism are crucial to better understand those legacies. Furthermore, research has showed that apologies, recognition and redress can only be meaningful if they actually respond to the needs, experiences and values of those affected by oppression and violence, and help transform their living conditions.
The first reactions by affected communities on the recent report are mixed, ranging from positive evaluations of the openness of the King, to questions about next steps and outright rejection for the lack of actions that are more far-reaching than symbolic recognition.
No new reparations, Prime Minister says
In response to the King, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said that there will be no new reparations, as the government’s reparation plan is already underway since 2023. He refers to a fund of 200 million euros, divided over the Netherlands, the Caribbean and Surinam, initiated after the government’s 2022 apologies for slavery. The fund supports policy initiatives to combat structural inequalities and societal initiatives aimed at recognition, education and rehabilitation. It is however not uncontroversial, as it can be considered minimal compared to the enormous profit made from slavery and colonialism, even if only compared to the profit made by the House of Orange alone.
Furthermore, it can be questioned whether initiatives aimed mainly at recognition and rehabilitation can actually be seen as reparation. To contribute to transforming the legacies of centuries of colonialism, longer-term and more meaningful policy effort and budget is needed, going beyond recognition and instead transforming socio-economic inequalities. The King could consider making his own contribution to this, as a way of reinforcing his intent to contribute to healing and reconciliation.
In the coming years, research will be undertaken with affected communities, including diverse ethnic groups in the different geographical areas affected by Dutch colonialism and slavery. Hopefully the resulting insights into their experiences and needs can help to ensure that in the future well-intended apologies will be accompanied by actions deemed appropriate by those affected, to actually work towards a more equal society.
Sanne Weber is Assistant Professor in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Radboud University Nijmegen. Her research and teaching address how post-conflict countries deal with their violent past and take steps towards peace and reconciliation. Her current research explores what reparations for historical injustices like colonialism and slavery could look like.
