King to receive findings of research into his family’s role in colonial history
Research image: Robin de Puy/RVD
King Willem-Alexander will visit Leiden University on Friday 2 October, where he will receive the results of an independent study of the role of the House of Orange-Nassau in the Netherlands’ colonial history.
The King himself initiated this research in 2022. He believes that a deep appreciation of the past is essential to understanding historical facts and developments, so that their impact on people and communities can be addressed as clearly and honestly as possible, including where the role of the House of Orange-Nassau in colonial history is concerned.
Six books
In the Academy Building, lead researcher Professor Gert Oostindie will present the King with the six books that around 60 researchers have worked on in recent years. One of these is the summary for a general audience, 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’).
The research was conducted under the guidance of an independent committee, which also contributed its own expertise. The committee independently developed the research brief, assembled the research team and oversaw the project. In addition to Gert Oostindie, the committee includes Professor Esther Captain, Kathleen Ferrier and Professor Henk te Velde.
Live broadcast
NOS will broadcast the presentation of the research results live on NPO1 from 11.15 to 12.30. After receiving the results, the King will depart. In the afternoon, several members of the research team will present their findings in greater depth.