LONDON – LONDON (AP) — King Charles III won’t be around much for the next six weeks — and it’s not because of his ongoing cancer treatments.
Shortly after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called early parliamentary elections for July 4, Buckingham Palace said all members of the royal family were canceling most public engagements until after the vote to avoid making anything that could divert attention from the campaign.
This announcement is just one of the ways in which Charles will seek to play his role as unifying head of state during the elections, without violating the constitutional prohibition on interfering in politics. Although the king’s role in government is largely ceremonial, it is linked to traditions that embody the way royal powers have gradually been transferred to Parliament over the past 800 years.
Here’s a look at the monarch’s role in the run-up to the election, including some dos and don’ts.
The decision to call an election was entirely Sunak’s. But before he could do so, the king had to grant permission to dissolve Parliament early.
Technically, the king still has the power to refuse a request for dissolution if he believes an election would be detrimental to the nation. But the last time this happened was in 1835.
Ignoring this precedent “would expose the monarch to allegations of political interference of an anti-democratic nature, even if the intention of the refusal was to preserve the proper functioning of democracy,” according to the Institute for Government, an independent think tank.
The current session of Parliament will be “prolonged,” or closed, on Friday based on an order Charles approved during a Privy Council meeting on Thursday at Buckingham Palace.
The king will not attend the formal closing of the session, a ceremonial event in which the Speaker of the House of Commons and other members of Parliament will go to the House of Lords to hear a speech written by the government.
The royal family is prohibited by law and tradition from interfering in politics at any time, but ensuring these rules are strictly followed is even more important during an election.
This means that royals cannot campaign for candidates, support policies or even publicize their political preferences.
Buckingham Palace explained this shortly after Sunak’s announcement, announcing that members of the royal family would postpone all engagements that “may appear to distract or distract from the election campaign”.
That meant the king on Friday abandoned trips to a Bentley car factory and a community center to help people in financial difficulties.
Well, some things are beyond reproach.
The king and queen still plan to attend ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6.
Other commitments will be examined on a case-by-case basis, the palace said.
One of the main functions of the modern monarchy is to provide a unifying figurehead who is seen above politics and can provide a sense of stability in difficult times.
This is the first general election of Charles’ reign. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, oversaw 21 during her 70 years on the throne.
George Gross, a royal expert at King’s College London, said elections are, by definition, times of turmoil when people look to the monarchy for continuity.
“There is… a power vacuum in political terms. Power has now been returned to the British people, and they will review the offer over the next six weeks,” Gross said. “So what this means is that the head of state has a new role. Or rather, the fundamental role of stability and continuity comes to the fore. Now, (royalty) cannot be political in any way.”
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