The driver of the car that killed five bystanders in the Dutch town of Apeldoorn when it ploughed its way through a parade attended by the Dutch royal family, died overnight, a little before 3am, Dutch media reported on May 1.

Two more victims are in a critical state, Dutch daily De Volkskrant said.

A total of nine people are still in hospital, according to De Volkskrant.

The driver was a 38-year-old Dutchman whose identity has been released by the police. According to local media reports, he was a former security guard who had lost his job several months ago. His neighbours describe him as quiet and withdrawn. Dutch daily Parool described him as "a friendly einzelgänger" (loner).  According to his landlord, he had ended the lease of his apartment because he could no longer afford the rent. The man had been due to vacate the apartment by May 1.

According to police, the attack was deliberate. Allegedly, the man had told rescue workers immediately after the incident that his target was the royal family.

Following the events in Apeldoorn, all festivities surrounding the celebration of what is generally considered as the most important Dutch national holiday were cancelled. The embassy of The Netherlands in Bulgaria cancelled celebrations in Sofia that had been planned for the evening of April 30.

In Dutch media, reviews and discussions question whether Queen's Day will ever be the same again. The familiar image of a royal family, freely moving through crowds, taking part in games and dances and shaking hands, may be a thing of the past, analysts feared.

"In some parts of this world, a royal family in an open bus would be unthinkable," De Volkskrant said in its analysis. "In some countries cars filled with explosives plough into their targets. Here, a car without explosives slammed into its target."

Parool quoted Hans van de Sande, psychologist at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, as saying "Next year we will have forgotten these shocking events and we will celebrate as we do every year."

A commemoration service for the victims was expected to be planned for the end of the week, local media said.

Queen Beatrix, meanwhile, announced she would attend a ceremony on May 4 in Amsterdam commemorating the fallen of World War 2.

Programmes for May 5, The Netherlands' liberation day, would be slightly adjusted but go ahead as planned, local media said.

The Partij van de Arbeid (Labour Party) cancelled May 1 Labour Day celebrations that had been planned in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Roosendaal.