AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Netherlands’ House of Orange profited by around 3 million guilders, or $600 million in modern terms, from Dutch colonies in the 1675-1770 period, a study commissioned by the government has found.
The “State and Slavery” study, which examines the role of the Dutch government and related institutions in colonial slavery, and the after-effects, was presented to Dutch parliament on Thursday.
It included the detail on the House of Orange. Princes of the time notably received 3% of the Dutch East India Company’s profits from the spice trade in modern Indonesia – despite not having been a shareholder.
The study is part of a wider reconsideration of the country’s colonial past, including efforts to return looted art and current struggles with racism.
King Willem-Alexander is expected to deliver an apology on July 1, which marks the 150th anniversary of Dutch abolition of slavery in its former colonies.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologised on behalf of the Dutch State for its involvement in the slave trade in December.
(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Conor Humphries)
