King Charles and Prince William are adjusting their schedules in response to the political upheaval in the U.K.
According to People, Charles, 75, and William, 41, will cancel their engagements for the rest of the week. This is after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for a surprise general election on July 4.
Charles had an outing scheduled for May 23 and two additional events on May 24, which the palace hopes to reschedule. Meanwhile, William also had a royal engagement this week that was suddenly canceled.
The canceled outings follow Charles’ recent resumption of public duties during his cancer treatment. Meanwhile, William’s wife, Kate Middleton, has also reduced her public appearances due to her own cancer diagnosis.
Traditionally, members of the royal family avoid engaging in politics, but they do adjust their schedules during elections. This practice ensures that public focus remains on the election and its significant issues.
The palace aims to maintain this standard to uphold the democratic process. Of course, this practice also allows the monarchs to avoid political questions from the press.
It Appears King Charles and Prince William Must Postpone Their Outings for the Foreseeable Future
Though the next six weeks for working royals like King Charles and Prince William remain uncertain, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson announced that the royal family will postpone any potentially conflicting engagements during the election period.
“Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result,” the spokesperson added.
Events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, including King Charles’ first overseas trip since his cancer diagnosis announcement in February, are expected to proceed as planned. Meanwhile, other events are under review and await evaluation on a case-by-case basis.
Uncertainty still surrounds traditional June events on the royal calendar, such as Trooping the Colour and Order of the Garter Day.
King Charles resumed his forward-facing royal duties on April 30 after announcing his cancer diagnosis and treatment on February 5. He has expressed his delight at returning to public engagements.
During a May 9 visit to the Royal School of Military Engineering, the sovereign remarked that he was glad to be “out of my cage,” referring to the period of limited audiences and meetings from February to late April.
Meanwhile, Prince William enlisted the help of his first cousins to host a Buckingham Palace garden party on May 21, while Princess Kate remains out of the spotlight undergoing cancer treatment.