Polls: Royal family cancels public engagements

IN the wake of Rishi Sunak's surprise summer general elections announcement, the royal family has postponed engagements “that may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign."

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak requested King Charles dissolve the Parliament to initiate elections. The Royal family's announcement came after Sunak's request was approved.

The King and Queen sent their “sincere apologies" to those affected after the cancellation of engagements due to general elections, said Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. 

The announcement of July 4 vote disrupted a string of events planned for King Charles and other members of the royal family. However, the King and Queen's D-Day 80th anniversary appearances in Portsmouth and Normandy are expected to go as it is.

UK General Elections on July 4

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a national election for July 4 on Wednesday. The recent announcement has ended months of speculation on the election date. The surprise election announcement on a date several months earlier than expected is seen as a risky strategy for his party, which is performing far behind Labour in the opinion polls. 

"Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future and decide whether it wants to build on the progress we have made or risk going back to square one and no certainty," Sunak said while making the announcement.

“Over the next few weeks, I will fight for every vote, I will earn your trust and I will prove to you that only a Conservative government led by me will not put our hard earned economic stability at risk," he added. 

Notably, Rishi Sunak is currently facing a massive decline in popularity among Britons. Not only this, he is is also somewhat isolated from some in his party. As a result, he is increasingly dependent on a small team of advisers to cope with an ugly campaign.