King and queen cancel appointments following General Election announcement

Rishi Sunak’s surprise summer General Election has prompted the royal family to cancel all appointments “which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign". Buckingham Palace announced that the King and Queen sent their "sincere apologies" to those affected, following Charles's agreement on Wednesday to the Prime Minister’s request to dissolve Parliament.

The King and Queen's appearances for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth and Normandy in June are expected to proceed as planned, but the announcement of a July 4 vote has disrupted other scheduled events in the royal calendar.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson stated: “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. Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result.”

The King may soon be welcoming his third prime minister during his reign. His first prime minister was Liz Truss, whose tenure was the shortest in British history, and he welcomed Mr Sunak as his second PM just six weeks after ascending to the throne.

Mr Sunak revealed that he spoke with the King earlier on Wednesday to inform him of his decision, and the King agreed to dissolve Parliament. Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles met with Mr Sunak in person at the royal residence in London on Wednesday afternoon, following the Prince’s Trust Awards engagement.

They spent around 15 minutes together in the King’s private audience room, replacing their usual weekly meeting on Wednesday evening. Mr Sunak is not expected to visit the King again on Wednesday.

The King, who is still undergoing cancer treatment, resumed public engagements in April and now faces numerous duties following Mr Sunak’s announcement of the upcoming election.