The Dutch king could offer an apology in a speech on the anniversary of slavery’s abolition in 1863

By AHMAD SEIR and MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Dutch King Willem-Alexander will deliver a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the country abolishing slavery. There is speculation in the Netherlands he could offer an apology on behalf of the royal house. The king’s speech on Saturday follows Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologizing late last year for the country’s role in the slave trade and slavery. It is part of a wider reckoning with colonial histories in the West that have been spurred in recent years by the Black Lives Matter movement.