King Willem-Alexander gave a speech during VJ Day commemoration at the Dutch East Indies monument in The Hague.
Although the Netherlands had been liberated in May 1945, the former Dutch East Indies were not free until the surrender of Japan.
The King usually attends the commemoration every five years, but this year he gave a speech for the first time.
Met de capitulatie van Japan kwam tachtig jaar geleden een einde aan de Tweede Wereldoorlog. De Koning en de minister-president wonen bij het Indisch Monument de nationale herdenking bij. De Koning houdt een toespraak en legt de eerste krans.https://t.co/xnfgBesmCy pic.twitter.com/TqTm1Nbvaa
— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) August 15, 2025
He said, “Today, we commemorate together the end of World War II in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Eighty years ago, on August 15, 1945, this horrific war ended. And eighty years are not enough to grasp and process the ocean of human suffering it unleashed. The wartime experiences in the Dutch East Indies play a crucial role in the story of the Netherlands.”
He added, “Today we commemorate the end of World War II in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, knowing that August 15, 1945, was not a turning point toward peace, freedom, and reconciliation for everyone. This is a bitter realisation. Remembrance is never easy and can never be gratuitous. Remembering together also means reflecting together on difficult and confronting questions. The tense relations in the world and the violence on our own continent compel us to reflect, including on our own attitudes.”
He reflected on the current situation with the words, “I think of the people of Gaza, of the Israeli hostages held there, of the Ukrainians affected by Russian aggression, and of all others suffering from war and violence anywhere in the world.”
Following his speech, he laid a wreath at the monument.
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