Today is the 53rd birthday of His Majesty, King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands. Ordinarily, HM would travel the country to attend festivities and parties up and down the land. Not in 2020. He too is in lockdown and all festivities are cancelled. People are encouraged to sing the national anthem at home and have a good time - at home.
This time of year is a busy one on the Dutch calendar, with the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War appearing next week. On May 4th, the Dead from WW2 will be remembered, with usually a mass event on Dam Square in Amsterdam. This year, it will be severely pared down, with only the King and Queen attending the ceremony.
On May 5th, 1945, Nazi German forces in the Netherlands signed the instrument of surrender at Wageningen. The celebrations on the 75th anniversary of this event are also off. We were released from the tiranny of Nazi Germany, we shall all be released from the terror of coronavirus.
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