Dutch royals welcome scrutiny of their colonial gift collection

Dozens of pieces in the Dutch royal family’s collection of colonial artefacts were “wrongly obtained” during wars and military campaigns, according to a report presented on Friday.

A special commission was set up in 2022 to check the collection of around a thousand objects to make sure none of it was stolen or taken by force. The decision to sanction the investigation was taken by the royal collection foundation SHVON, which is chaired by Queen Máxima.

The collection includes items from the former colonies of Indonesia, Suriname and several Caribbean islands and ranges from weapons to textiles and jewellery. Most were collected by queens Emma and Wilhelmina and were given to them on special occasions or during visits.

The researchers said it was difficult to assess the origins of some 200 items, many of which were owned by king Willem III. However, they concluded that some objects, including several weapons, were taken by force during colonial campaigns.

One such item is a gun from Raden Intan, the monarch of Keratuan Darah Putih who was killed by Dutch soldiers in 1856. His weapon was then given to Willem III. Another example taken by force was a shield, taken by soldiers from the monarch of Samalanga in 1877.

Objects which were “given” to the king during or after military campaigns reflect colonial power and the Dutch policy of divide and conquer, the researchers said.

A gold anklet given to Wilhelmina from the monarch of Badung, now Bali, also raises questions. The independent kingdom was overrun by the Dutch shortly afterwards, leading to a collective suicide pact among the local population. The gift, the researchers said, had been an ultimate effort to try to keep the Dutch at bay.

Queen Máxima said she is “grateful for the in-depth and independent research” which will ensure the collection is dealt with carefully.

The research will now be placed online in both Dutch and English by early next year. “Transparency is a precondition for an open conversation with those from the countries of origin,” the queen said.

The commission accepts that it may now receive requests for objects to be returned. In 2024 the Netherlands returned a further 288 artifacts to Indonesia which, the culture ministry says, were “wrongly taken during the colonial era”. In July 2023 almost 500 objects were handed over.