Dutch king lays Remembrance Day wreath honoring war dead

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View of Dam Square devoid of spectators due to coronavirus related restrictions, as Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima lay a wreath during a national service to commemorate the war dead in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, May 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, Pool)

AMSTERDAM – The Dutch king laid a wreath Tuesday at a monument to the country's war dead at a solemn commemoration ceremony devoid of the usual huge crowds for the second straight year because of coronavirus lockdown measures.

King Willem-Alexander marked the Netherlands' Remembrance Day with his wife, Queen Maxima, and other dignitaries and a small group of guests at the national monument on Dam Square in downtown Amsterdam.

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The national day of commemoration, at which flags fly at half staff throughout the country, is followed Wednesday by a national holiday to celebrate the country's liberation from Nazi German occupation at the end of World War II.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will give a speech Wednesday via a live video connection from Berlin before discussing the theme of freedom with students.