The Dutch have celebrated the 75th anniversary of liberation from Nazi occupation after King Willem-Alexander paid tribute to war victims and acknowledged some had “felt abandoned” by his great-grandmother during World War II.
Liberation Day celebrations have been cancelled or moved online to comply with a ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak.
A virtual concert featuring favourite national musicians was due to be broadcast on Tuesday evening.
People flew the Dutch tricolour flag from their balconies and gardens.
Speaking to an almost empty square in central Amsterdam late on Monday, the king drew parallels between the sacrifices the Dutch people made during the war and the lockdown imposed now to halt the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
“In these exceptional months we have all had to give up some of our freedom. Our country hasn’t known anything like this since the war,” he said in a televised speech after the nation had observed two minutes silence in honour of the war dead.
Only Queen Maxima, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and a couple of other officials were present at the wreath-laying ceremony on Dam Square that would usually draw thousands of people.
Read the article in The Australian (Reuters).