No royal selfies and meet and greets with Prince William, King Charles III, or any member of the royal family will occur for what one palace insider said “could be weeks.”
“Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson shared about the decision.
“Following the Prime Minister’s statement this afternoon calling a general election, the royal family will — in accordance with normal procedure — postpone engagements that may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign,” they added.
On Wednesday, May 22, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak formally asked the King to dissolve parliament to allow a long-awaited election to occur to determine the balance of power in the House of Commons. The previous nationwide vote took place on December 12, 2019, which sent Boris Johnson back to Downing Street to serve as Britain’s head of government.
The British monarch, as the nation’s head of state, plays a ceremonial role in election cycles, which is King Charles’ first as the reigning sovereign.
“Parliament will be prorogued on Friday, May 24. Dissolution will take place on Thursday, May 30. The General Election will take place on Thursday, July 4,” Downing Street’s statement read. “The new Parliament will be summoned to meet on Tuesday, July 9, when the first business will be the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of members, and the State Opening will be on Wednesday, July 17.”
The timing of the vote could dampen some of the most anticipated royal events of the year, such as Trooping the Colour, Royal Ascot, and Garter Day, all of which take place in June. It has been reported that His Majesty and Prince William’s joint appearance in Normandy, France, for D-Day celebrations will likely still take place.
The election date of July 4 also coincides with Royal Holyrood Week, in which the monarch travels to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland to spend a week in the ancient fortress. Reports suggest the pageantry-filled events of that week could be cut short due to nationwide voting and the King’s presence being needed in London to ask the sitting or new prime minister to form a government.
It is also unknown if the state visit for Emperor Naruhito of Japan, which is set to occur in late June, will be affected by the election. Such visits are filled with pomp and circumstance, including a carriage procession down the mall to Buckingham Palace from Horse Guards Parade.
The King and Prince of Wales’ trip to France on June 6 will be the first foreign trip for both this year.
