King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima attend National Commemoration of Slavery History
On Saturday, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima attended the National Commemoration of Slavery History in Amsterdam. The ceremony is the start of the Commemoration Year of Slavery Past. On July 1, 1863, slavery was abolished by law in Suriname and the Caribbean islands but slavery did not really stop for many in the then Kingdom until 1873, 150 years ago.
In his speech, King Willem-Alexander said: “ 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. But for me, there is another personal dimension. Slavery and the slave trade are recognised as a crime against humanity. And the Stadholders and Kings of the House of Orange-Nassau did nothing to stop it. […] What was thought normal in the colonies overseas – practiced on a large-scale and encouraged, in fact – was not allowed here. That is a painful truth. The independent study I have commissioned will shed more light on the precise role played by the House of Orange-Nassau in our country’s colonial past and the history of slavery. But today, on this day of remembrance, I ask forgiveness for the clear failure to act in the face of this crime against humanity.”
Queen Maxima wore hr Natan dress with her Gianvito Rossi pumps. With thanks to ModeKoninginMaxima, the pleated detail on her hat is a reference to the Angisa, the Surinamese-Creole headscarf that used to be worn on the plantations by the female slaves.
