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

Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologized on Saturday for his country’s role in slavery and asked for forgiveness in a historic speech greeted by cheers and whoops at an event to commemorate the anniversary of the abolition of slavery.

The King’s speech followed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s apology late last year for the country’s role in the



slave trade and slavery. It is part of a wider reckoning with colonial histories in the West that have been spurred in recent years by the Black Lives Matter movement.

The King said he has commissioned a study into the exact role of the royal House of Orange-Nassau in slavery in the Netherlands.