“Thank You, Your Majesty!” (Line Portraits – Ars Gratia Artis), 2026
King Willem-Alexander and his wife Máxima, Queen of the Netherlands (Máxima met Willem-Alexander in 1999, they married in 2002, and became king and queen on 30 April 2013)
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King Willem-Alexander is the FIRST MONARCH to formally APOLOGIZE for the country’s involvement in the slave trade. This apology was made during a speech, on July 1, 2023, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Dutch colonies.
A year before, in 2022, the king had asked Gert Oostindie (a former professor of colonial history), to conduct an extensive investigation into the monarchy. Thus the research was commissioned by the king, who granted access to the royal archives and funded the inquiry. 60 researchers were involved in the nearly 4 year project. A 2,000 page report of the research has been published into five books, and was presented to the king, in October 2026.
“I cannot change the past, but I can make a positive contribution to the present and the future to the best of my ability.” – King Willem-Alexander
Thank You, Your Majesty!