Dutch royal family to temporarily stop using golden coach, following criticism of colonial ties

CNN

King Willem-Alexander has said the Dutch royal family will temporarily stop using the Golden Coach until “the Netherlands is ready,” following criticism of colonial ties to the horse-drawn carriage. “Our history contains much to be proud of. At the same time, it also offers learning material for faults to recognize and to avoid in the future,” King Willem-Alexander, the ruling monarch in the Netherlands, said in a video message published on the royal family’s verified YouTube account on Thursday. “We cannot rewrite the past. We can try to come to terms with it together. That also applies to the colonial past. Instead, a collective effort is needed that goes deeper and lasts longer. An effort that unites us rather than divides us.”

The carriage — known colloquially as “De Gouden Koets” — has been at the center of fierce debate in recent years. One of the panels on the Golden Coach, named “Tribute from the Colonies,” depicts people of color from the colonies kneeling in subordination to a young white woman who represents the Netherlands, while presenting her with gifts, according to the Amsterdam Museum, where the coach is housed…