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. Caribbean slavery reparations body decries claims it aims to ‘break UK Treasury’ Read more

The king and queen’s visit is the first by members of the Dutch royal family in nearly five decades.

Slavery was formally abolished in Suriname and other Dutch-held lands on 1 July, 186

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