THE HAGUE - Last Wednesday, King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima spoke for the third time at Paleis Huis ten Bosch with representatives from the social and scientific field about the colonial past.
As with the earlier talks on 31 May and 27 September last year, the discussion dealt with the impact of the colonial and slavery past and the way in which society can jointly work on recovery and reconciliation. This third meeting took place with a new group of representatives.
The decision to enter into dialogue follows the decision not to use the Golden Coach for the time being and the joint process needed to come to terms with the colonial past.
The king says about this, among other things: “Our history contains much to be proud of. At the same time, it also offers learning material to recognize mistakes and avoid them in the future. We cannot rewrite the past. We can try to come to terms with it together. The same goes for the colonial past. Listening to each other and understanding each other are essential conditions for achieving reconciliation and removing pain in people's souls. I know we can do that, even if it is a long and difficult road.”