Surprising!

British royals cancel all appointments

The British royals have canceled many of their appointments at short notice.

(Bild: AAPA/AFP/POOL/John Linton)

King Charles III (75), who only recently resumed his public duties after being diagnosed with cancer, and other working royals have surprisingly canceled all appointments. However, the reason for the last-minute cancellations is not due to health problems. What this is all about ...

Originally, the King was due to visit Cheshire this week, but nothing came of it. There will also be fewer appointments for the other members of the royal family over the next few weeks.

Fortunately, these last-minute cancellations are not due to health problems. Instead, politics has ensured that the royals are largely taking a step back for the time being.

In a statement, the palace announced that all public appointments have so far been canceled.

(Bild: AAPA/AFP/POOL/John Linton)

Prime Minister announces new elections
On Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set the date for new parliamentary elections for July 4. "Now is the time for Britain to choose its future," he said.

Before announcing the news, the Prime Minister had met King Charles at Buckingham Palace to request the dissolution of Parliament. The conversation between the two is said to have taken place as part of the Prime Minister's weekly audience. The surprising statement from the palace followed shortly afterwards.

Charles does not want to distract from the elections
According to the Mirror, a statement from the royal couple reads: "Following the Prime Minister's statement calling a general election, the Royal Family will - in line with normal procedure - postpone any appointments that might appear to attract attention or distract from the election campaign."

And further: "Their Majesties sincerely apologize to anyone who may have been affected by this," the palace said on behalf of the King. However, the 75-year-old will continue to attend major events such as the D-Day commemorations and the series of garden parties at Buckingham Palace will not be affected, according to British media reports. All upcoming royal appointments should now be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in light of the general election announcement.