On Wednesday May 22, 2024 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a surprising announcement. He called for a general election to be held on July 4, 2024. His Conservative Party has been in power for 14 years. The last time a full parliamentary election was held was in December 2019.
Because of this, the British royal family has to change their public appearances. The sovereign has to remain politically neutral, so engagements were canceled, which might be seen as giving favor to one party over the other. The public will be seeing less of Prince William and King Charles until this election is over.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explained his actions at a press conference on May 22, 2024. "Earlier today, I spoke with His Majesty The King to ask for the dissolution of Parliament," he explained. "The King has granted this request, and we will have a general election on the 4th of July."
The day before the prime minister's press conference, Buckingham Palace weighed in. It announced the royal family will delay any public appearances "which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign." The royal family realizes this may be disappointing to some. "Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result," a spokesperson stated on behalf on the royal family.
This announcement comes just after King Charles returned to public-facing duties following his cancer diagnosis. He is still expected to take part of events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He will travel to Normandy, France, to take part. All other events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
