From working visit to Trooping the Colour: what’s going on in England?
A special situation in the United Kingdom this week: Buckingham Palace has announced that the Windsors will be canceling all kinds of events and appearances in the near future. And it all has to do with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s rained-out announcement last night.
Fuss
Anyone who follows the news from jolly old England will know that the political situation there has not been very stable in recent times. Just before the death of the late Queen Elizabeth, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson said goodbye. One of the Queen’s last public appearances was when she welcomed her successor, Liz Truss, to Balmoral. However, just a few weeks after Elizabeth’s funeral, Liz resigned again and welcomed new King Charles Rishi Sunak as his successor.
But this has not made the situation truly stable. New elections will be held on July 4. Sunak announced this during a press moment at Downing Street in the pouring rain last night. If Sunak’s party does not win in due course, this means that King Charles will be able to welcome his third prime minister in less than two years.
Royal duties
Of course, this means that Charles will again have a number of ceremonial tasks on his plate around the elections. But the announcement has a broader impact on the royal family’s plans. Buckingham Palace announced that they will suspend their plans in the coming weeks.
A spokesperson for the court shared: “The Royal Family will – in line with normal procedures – postpone appointments that could distract from the election campaign.” Clearly!
“Their Majesties sincerely apologize to anyone who may be affected,” it added.
Plans in the water
With about a month and a half to go until the elections, it is not yet entirely certain which events will or will not take place. In any case, the first cancellations have already been made: Prince William was scheduled to make several visits to Crewe and London today and tomorrow, but these have now been canceled.
In addition, the British court always has a busy summer. For example, Trooping the Color is scheduled for Saturday, June 15, the Order of the Garter ceremony will take place the following Monday, and the Royal Ascot is in the same week. In addition, Holyrood Week traditionally takes place in the summer, during which Charles and Camilla spend a week in their beloved Scotland. Royalty watchers from The Daily Mail, among others, expect these events to continue, but perhaps in a modified form.
However, other appointments, such as working visits to charities and various UK regions, are likely to be canceled or postponed. The festive state visit of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako is also in doubt. An extra shame, because this visit was actually already planned for the spring of 2020. Of course, that was canceled at the time due to the pandemic. Whether the state visit can go ahead this time remains to be seen. Hopefully if they are postponed they won’t have to wait another four years!
Source: The Daily Mail | Image: NL Image
