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Dutch king refuses to 'rewrite history' in row over colonial carriage

The Golden Carriage Arrives At Noordeinde Palace, In Den Haag, - Julian Parker/UK Press
The Golden Carriage Arrives At Noordeinde Palace, In Den Haag, - Julian Parker/UK Press

The King of the Netherlands has refused to ‘re-write history’ amid calls for colonial imagery to be wiped from the Royal  carriage.

King Willem-Alexander said that the Golden Carriage, which dates back to 1898, was part of Dutch culture even if it depicts imagery  on a panel that is seen as racist.

The carriage, which is regularly used for official ceremonies such as the presentation of the Dutch budget, depicts black men and Asians, representing the former colonies of Suriname and the Antilles, bringing goods to their white rulers.

King Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima arrive in the Golden Carriage at Noordeinde Palace in 2013.  - AP
King Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima arrive in the Golden Carriage at Noordeinde Palace in 2013. - AP

The controversy is particularly marked after the Black Lives Matter protests focused attention in the Netherlands on the country’s colonial past and involvement in the slave trade.

Willem-Alexander said he would make a final decision on whether to continue using the carriage once it was fully restored to its “full glory”

“It is part of our culture, but we are not rewriting history,” he told the NOS broadcaster.

The carriage has been controversial since politicians and campaigners said it should be put in a museum and no longer used because of the painting by Amsterdam artist Nicolaas van der Waay.

“I am following the discussion, but I am not taking part in it,” he said when asked about the protests which date back to 2015.

Last year the Golden Carriage was taken out of action for restoration and a different one used for ceremonies instead.

It was commissioned by the City of Amsterdam in the late 19th century. It was a gift from the city of Amsterdam for Queen Wilhelmina 1898 inauguration.

KIng Willem-Alexander - AFP
KIng Willem-Alexander - AFP

On Thursday, a United Nations report said that Dutch schools needed to pay more attention to the country’s colonial past, its role in the slave trade and the consequences for ethnic minorities in the modern day Netherlands.

"This is not only about understanding the ways in which people of African descent and other groups have contributed to building the Netherlands, but also about emphasising that white Dutch people have benefited from the exploitation of these groups,"  said UN rapporteur Tendayi Achiume

"And then really reflect on the stereotypes, the ways we see people, that still exist today because of that legacy. Take, for example, ethnic profiling by the police. That is based on stereotypes about crime. They were influenced by history."

Black Lives Matter protests were held in the Netherlands after the death of George Floyd.

"I hope the current debate will lead to more reflection on who belongs and who is not seen as someone who belongs. And what the role of the government is, to make you feel like a full member of Dutch society, regardless of your ethnicity, race or religion," said Ms Achiume, according to the NLTimes website.

Last month, police had to break up rival protests of more than 500 people at the statue of a Dutch East India Company officer Jan Pieterszoon Coen in Hoorn, north of Amsterdam.

He led the conquest of the Banda islands in 1621, in modern-day Indonesia. Only 1,000 of the 15,000 locals are believed to have survived.

“A mass murderer does not deserve a statue,'' said Romy Rondeltap, one of the organisers at the protest, which took place after the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol .

In March, Willem-Alexander apologised for the "excessive violence" inflicted on Indonesia during his country's colonial rule, the monarchy's first such admission of regret to the Southeast Asian nation.

Every Christmas season bitter protests are held for and against the traditional practice of blacking up as “Zwarte Piet” for parades. “Black Pete” is one of St Nicholas’ helpers but anti-racism campaigners insist the practice should end and some local municipalities have agreed.