Just a few weeks after he returned to work, King Charles cleared his schedule. Along with Queen Camilla and Prince William, the British royals have canceled all their engagements this week as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for a surprise general election. That’s a few weeks out, but between now and then, there’s a major royal tradition on the books: this year’s Trooping the Colour—and there’s no word on whether or not it’ll happen.
The royal family will postpone events “which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign,” Buckingham Palace shared in a statement on May 22, according to People.
King Charles had an appointment planned for today, May 23, and two for tomorrow. Both have been canceled. People adds that it’s nothing new, writing, “Adjusting the schedule during election campaigns is standard practice. The palace aims to ensure the public’s attention remains on the election and the key issues it presents.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson apologized to the public and to anyone who was involved in the events that had to be rescheduled.
“Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result,” they said.
This year’s Trooping the Colour is scheduled for June 15 and it “remains unclear” whether or not that date will shift. While most events are being looked at on a “case-by-case” basis, People adds that the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and Charles and Camilla’s trip to Normandy, France, are still on the calendar. Charles resumed his public-facing appointments on Apr. 30 after he shared that he had been diagnosed with cancer back in February.
Prince William also shared an apology as he canceled his appointments.
“We look forward to rescheduling in the future and are extremely sorry to anyone who has already traveled,” Kensington Palace said via a statement, per Hello.
The new free time will give William “more than a month of family time,” Newsweek reports, which adds “a significant silver lining, though, while for Charles, it will likely be a frustrating step backward just when he was getting back in his stride.”
The election is scheduled for July 4.
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