Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was seen riding his horse on the Windsor estate after his brother King Charles announced that royal engagements would be postponed to avoid distracting from the upcoming UK General Election. Andrew, who has resigned from all public duties, wore a blue shirt and black trousers and was accompanied by another man during his ride. The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, called for a General Election on July 4th, and Buckingham Palace announced that the Royal Family will postpone engagements that could potentially distract from the election campaign. The decision was made in accordance with normal procedure. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace stated, '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' [b480e4a1]. The King granted the request to dissolve Parliament, and the election will take place on July 4th. Andrew's ride comes after controversy surrounding his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and he has not been seen in public often since then. He reached a settlement out of court with Virginia Giuffre, who filed a civil sexual assault lawsuit against him. The Royal Family is now distancing themselves from political parties following the announcement of the UK General Election. They are rearranging their diaries to avoid being seen as currying favor with any political party and aim to remain apolitical [68f4888e] [a6b97180] [148074f9].
The UK General Election is scheduled to take place on July 4th.