The royal family’s summer plans are in jeopardy after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a snap general election on Wednesday. However, the monarchy’s chaos could prove beneficial to Princess Kate as she continues her absence from public life while receiving treatment for cancer.

In an audience at Buckingham Palace in London on Wednesday, Sunak asked King Charles III to formally dissolve Parliament so that a general election could be called. It will see Britons head to the polls on July 4 to elect their new government.

Conservative Sunak will go head to head with Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer in a political campaign for the prime ministership, which will dominate British politics for the next six weeks.

Sunak’s request has thrown Charles and other working royals’ summer plans into chaos. The monarch issued a directive from Buckingham Palace, following his meeting with the prime minister on Wednesday, canceling all engagements in the coming week and reassessing future events. Newsweek approached Kensington Palace in London via email for comment.

Princess Kate smiles during Trooping the Colour in London, June 17, 2023. The royal’s presence at this year’s event would be highly anticipated as she continues her absence from public life following a cancer diagnosis. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

A statement from the palace read: “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.

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“Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result,” the statement added.

The Prince of Wales followed suit, with a number of his engagements being postponed.

Though this means a reduction in walkabouts and charity visits in the coming weeks, it could also see some of the monarchy’s largest summer events being affected. These include Trooping the Colour and the state visit of the Emperor of Japan, both of which are scheduled to take place in June.

While confirmation on whether these will go ahead as planned, be scaled down or canceled altogether has yet to be given, this reorganization of the royal diary could benefit Princess Kate. Her presence at large-scale events is highly anticipated following her diagnosis with cancer.

The princess has been absent from public life since January, when she underwent abdominal surgery, followed by the announcement of her cancer diagnosis in March.

At the time of the announcement, Kate said she looked forward to returning to her royal work but said, for the time being, she needed to focus on her health. On May 20, Kensington Palace provided an update on this timeline, saying that: “The princess is not expected to return to work until it’s cleared by her medical team.”

Prince William and Princess Kate attend the state banquet for the president of South Korea at Buckingham Palace, London, November 21, 2023. The Emperor and Empress of Japan are due to visit Britain in June,… Yui Mok-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Trooping the Colour—the military parade and balcony appearance celebrating the monarch’s official birthday in London—is one of the milestone events in the royals’ annual diary.

Given Kate’s absence from public life, pressure for a potential appearance at this year’s event this June would likely have mounted on the princess and Kensington Palace from the public and social media.

If Trooping the Colour were to be canceled or scaled down and relocated to Windsor Castle in Berkshire (as it was during the COVID-19 pandemic), so as not to detract from the election campaign, it would likely reduce the pressure for Kate to make a public appearance.

The state visit of the Emperor of Japan was announced earlier this year to be taking place in June. Kate has become a highly anticipated presence during visits from world leaders. As Princess of Wales, she has taken on the role of greeting the high-profile guests with William before their introductions to Charles and Queen Camilla.

Fans have also looked forward to the princess’ appearance at the state banquet, the centerpiece of these visits, as it provides a rare opportunity to see her in full state regalia and often a tiara.

The reduction in royal events over the summer could also reduce the likelihood of a social-media storm surrounding her whereabouts and condition that erupted earlier this year. The royal’s absence would not be so conspicuous if events were scaled down or canceled.

While Kate continues with her cancer treatment and recovery, the reduced pressure to make summer appearances could allow her greater freedom to focus on her health.