Why UK General Election Announcement Means Royal Family Cancels Engagements

The royal family has cancelled a series of upcoming engagements following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s call for a snap general election in the UK in July.

Although the King and Queen’s appearances to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Portsmouth and Normandy in June are expected to go ahead as planned, other events in the upcoming royal diaries are now severely disrupted.

Now, in a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the reason for the cancellations has been revealed: the King and Queen do not want to “distract attention” from the election campaign.

The statement read: “Following the Prime Minister’s statement this afternoon calling for a general election, the Royal Family – in line with normal procedure – will postpone engagements which might appear to distract from or divert attention from the election campaign.

“Their Majesties offer their sincere apologies to all those who may be affected by these events.”

As the king could be set to become the third prime minister of his reign, Sky News revealed: “The king must stand above politics, but this announcement has interfered with the monarch’s agenda.

“We understand that his entire schedule, which only recently resumed following his cancer diagnosis, is now being assessed and reviewed, although plans to participate in D-Day commemorations continue.

“The constitutional role of the King may seem ceremonial, but it is a reminder that the Crown remains an integral part of Parliament. Only the King can appoint prime ministers, only the King approves bills and only the King can dissolve Parliament.”

Rishi Sunak announced yesterday afternoon (22 May) that Britons will go to the polls on 4 July to elect the country’s next government, ending months of uncertainty. The Prime Minister met the monarch at Buckingham Palace to request a dissolution of Parliament, kicking off the election process.

The Prime Minister then met the King at Buckingham Palace, shortly after the latter welcomed the young winners of the Prince’s Trust Awards. The two men met for around 15 minutes in the King’s usual private audience room as part of the Prime Minister’s weekly audience.

Rishi expressed optimism about the UK’s financial outlook, saying: “Today marks an important moment for the economy, with inflation returning to normal. Better days lie ahead, but only if we stick to the plan to improve economic security and opportunity for all.”

In his election announcement, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of building on current achievements: “This hard-won economic stability was meant to be just the beginning, the question now is how and who can you trust to turn this foundation into a secure future for you, your family and our country?”

He urged the nation to consider the way forward: “This is the moment for Britain to choose its future, to decide whether we want to continue the progress we have made or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty.”

Sunak also spoke about his recent conversation with the royal family: “Earlier today I spoke with His Majesty the King to request a dissolution of Parliament. The King has granted that request and we will have a general election on 4 July.”