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View all search resultsDutch royal family backed colonial rule from the beginning, study finds
A study involving around 60 researchers finds that the House of Orange-Nassau supported colonial violence, forced labor and slavery, even when its direct political power was limited.
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Colonial reckoning: Five books from a research project examining the House of Orange-Nassau’s role in colonialism, alongside a summary for general readers, 'Oranje en de Koloniën', '1600-2025: De koloniale geschiedenis van het Huis Oranje-Nassau' (Orange and the Colonies, 1600-2025: The Colonial History of the House of Orange-Nassau), are displayed at Leiden University in the Netherlands in this undated photo. (Courtesy of Leiden University/-)
T
he Dutch royal family supported colonialism for centuries, including the violence, forced labor and slavery that sustained the empire, although its direct influence over colonial policy was limited for much of that period, a new historical study has found.
Released on Oct. 2, the study was conducted at Leiden University in the Netherlands and led by historian Gert Oostindie, with around 60 researchers involved.
King Willem-Alexander commissioned the research in 2022, but the royal family did not participate in the research process or influence its findings, according to Leiden University’s website.
The research produced five books, including The Dutch Monarchy and Its Colonial History, 1600-2025. An Indonesian version is scheduled for publication next year by Yayasan Obor.
The study concluded that the House of Orange-Nassau’s involvement in colonialism “was wholehearted and without any real reservations”.
“The House of Orange-Nassau has been involved in Dutch colonialism, and has been supporting Dutch colonialism from its very beginnings,” Oostindie said. “The spirit of the age is no excuse.”
He said the family’s limited political power during certain periods did not mean it opposed colonial exploitation. The monarchy supported forced labor and slavery while receiving substantial income from colonialism.
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