King Charles, Prince William suddenly cancel public appearances after snap election called

King Charles and Prince William have been forced to suddenly cancel or postpone a series of planned public appearances.

It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a snap general election for the UK.

It is standard protocol for the senior royals to pull back on their schedules during the lead-up to an election to avoid distracting from political campaigning and allow them to avoid any perceptions of bias.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “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 royal family has been forced to keep an unusually low public profile this year as two senior royals seek treatment for cancer, leaving Prince William and Princess Anne to fly the flag.

The King only just returned to public duties in April after undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer and Princess Catherine is still on leave as she seeks preventative treatment for cancer.

Insiders say she is unlikely to resume public duties for months, and even then it will depend on how her treatment goes.

The King has already cancelled a planned visit this week to luxury vehicle manufacturer Bentley and a visit to St Paul’s Community Centre.

A number of other events on the royal calendar are likely to be affected, however, some so-called big-ticket items are still expected to go ahead, according to Tatler.

It is believed that the King’s trip to Normandy with Queen Camilla to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France will proceed and Prince William will still visit Omaha Beach for an international ceremony for the anniversary on June 6.

The King is also likely to still attend Trooping the Colour on June 15.