I have to correct you. The golden coach was made in 1898 so decades after Wilhelmina's father Willem III signed the law abolishing slavery.
However one of the side panels depicts an allegoric scene of the colonies paying tribute to the Netherlands.
It shows how important in 1898 the possession of the various colonies was for the country. Not just financial, but also for the standing of the country in the world and even in a weird way the call of bringing European prosperity, faith and values to other parts of the world.
At present the colonial past of the country is subject of various debates. The king has decided not to use the recently restored coach for the time being. Once the discussions have concluded and Dutch society is ready for the coach to be used again he or his successor can start to use the coach again. The coach belongs to the Orange-Nassau foundations so is private property.
Behind palace walls talks about the future of the coach have gone on since it went into restoration. HM has from the start refused to replace the panel as he sees that as the worst possible scenario and denying history.
Im not sure if we'll ever see the coach again. The Princess of Orange has already stated to the writer of the book that appeared for her 18th birthday that she wants to use the creme caleche as her wedding carriage.
"The Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander has announced that Dutch royals will cease using a historic golden carriage amid a debate over slavery links.
Critics say that one side of the horse-drawn carriage, called De Gouden Koets, is decorated with an image that glorifies the country's colonial past".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59988414
Why don't they just remove the offending panels?
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