The Dutch Monarchy and Its Colonial History, 1600-2025

The House of Orange-Nassau was involved in the Dutch colonial empire for four centuries. But how significant was the family’s role, actually? Were they merely the ceremonial face of the empire, or did they play an active part in colonial expansion, slavery, and economic exploitation?

The Dutch Monarchy and its Colonial History, 1600–2025 is the result of a major research programme initiated by King Willem-Alexander. The historian Gert Oostindie reveals the Orange-Nassaus’ involvement in the Dutch East and West India Companies, Suriname, the Caribbean islands, and the colonial wars in Indonesia, and explores how they shaped and defended the political and economic interests of the Dutch Empire. He shows that their position and attitudes changed over the course of the centuries, from actively supporting colonial expansion to dealing with the problematic legacy of colonialism and decolonization.

This meticulously researched and accessible book provides a clear, authoritative overview of the House of Orange-Nassau’s connections with the colonial past. The Dutch Monarchy and its Colonial History, 1600–2025 is indispensable for anyone who wants to understand how the histories of the Dutch royal family and colonialism are interconnected and why that past is still relevant today.

Gert Oostindie is Professor Emeritus in Colonial and Postcolonial History at Leiden University. He has published numerous books on the colonial and postcolonial history of the Netherlands and slavery in the Dutch Empire. His book Rekenschap, published by Boom in 2024, addressed the issues of apologies and reparations for the colonial past.