King Willem-Alexander and queen Máxima laid wreaths at the war memorial in central Amsterdam on Sunday evening as the Netherlands remembered the dead of World War II.

Tens of thousands of people attended the traditional ceremony on Dam Square and were addressed by Amsterdam’s mayor Eberhard van der Laan who gave this year’s Remembrance Day speech.

After the wreath-laying, the bells tolled for two minutes silence. This takes place nationwide at 20.00 every year.

The royal couple will be back in Amsterdam on Monday for the Liberation Day concert, which takes place on a floating stage, close to the Carré theatre every year.

Day of rest

A number of Bible Belt towns and villages held their own Remembrance Day ceremonies on Saturday in order not to disturb Sunday as a day of rest.

Yerseke, Urk and Staphorst were among the towns bringing forward the commemorations by one day.

However one group of people from the fishing village of Urk want the government to introduce legislation forcing local authorities to hold Remembrance Day gatherings on May 4, whether or not it falls on a Sunday, Nos television said.

Remembrance Day ceremonies take place in some 1,500 places nationwide.