The king and queen’s visit to the former colony is the first by members of the Dutch royal family in nearly five decades
The Dutch king, Willem-Alexander, vowed on Monday that the topic of slavery would not be off-limits as he visits former colony Suriname, where the practice ended just over 150 years ago.
The king arrived in the capital Paramaribo on Sunday with Queen Maxima, a week after the small South American country marked 50 years of independence from the Netherlands.
During their three-day visit, “we will not shy away from history, nor from its painful elements, such as slavery,” Willem-Alexander said on Monday.
The king and queen’s visit is the first by members of the Dutch royal family in nearly five decades.
