The event was to commemorate the anniversary of the country abolishing slavery, amid speculation that he could offer an apology on behalf of the royal house. Slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean on July 1, 1863, but most of the enslaved labourers were forced to continue working on plantations for a further 10 years.

Saturday’s commemoration and speech mark the start of a year of events to mark the 150th anniversary of July 1, 1873. Research published last month showed that the king’s ancestors earned the modern-day equivalent of 545 million euros ($595 million) from slavery, including profits from shares that were effectively given to them as gifts.

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