Leaving the stage clear for politics: What the general election campaign means for the royals
You could say it’s a funny time for the royals, when they don’t want too much attention on what they’re doing.
A “period of pre-election sensitivity” as it was described to me, where they want to leave the stage clear for the election campaign to play out.
The King and Queen’s visit to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) was one that had obviously survived the meetings they had in the palace last week to decide what engagements were still appropriate.
Both keen supporters of the arts, they were obviously delighted to be there to celebrate RADA’s 120th anniversary, and the King’s decision to follow his mother as their patron.
As far as visits go, it was low key.
A quick history tour of the building, time to watch a performance from some of the students and a look around the workshops to see where sets are designed. Nothing too controversial there you might say.
But talking to some of the famous former students, I was reminded of the delicate line the monarch and his family will have to tread in the coming weeks.
Actor Danny Mays, who most recently appeared in Guys and Dolls, which the Queen actually went to watch, was critical of how political parties have neglected the creative industries.
“It’s really sort of turbulent times for the arts, financially RADA needs all the support it can get,” he said.
“It’s always going to be an uphill battle in some respects, but I mean we were discussing Guys and Dolls, that is a huge commercial success, and my eyes have been opened to the importance of how much revenue theatre brings into our country, the West End, hopefully all around the country.
“You know it’s alive and kicking and it’s a vital industry. It brings in so much money and it needs to be championed and supported every step of the way”.
A monarch championing the arts is ‘really exciting’
David Harewood, the actor and president of RADA, talked to me about how it’s becoming a problem in schools.
He said: “Drama is actually dropping off a lot of school syllabuses right now which is really sad to see. So to have the reigning monarch as a champion of the arts, in favour of the arts, supporting the arts is really exciting.
“Because I think it’s a vital part of young children’s play and the fact that consecutive governments are trying to get rid of that, and erode that, I think is really dangerous, so to have him there at the top of the tree is really exciting.”
These weren’t conversations they had with the monarch but show how everything the King does can possibly have a political slant.
You could say it’s all part of being a socially engaged head of state, and inevitable if he wants the monarchy, and what they do, to remain relevant.
Last week, a constitutional expert told me he thought it was “odd” that the palace should draw attention to the need to postpone engagements because the election had been called, that possibly it could be seen as an admission their philanthropic work is now potentially political.
In the coming weeks, the Royal Family won’t entirely disappear from view.
There are big ceremonial events coming up, such as their involvement in D-Day commemorations next week, Trooping the Colour and the Garter parade.
But other engagements may be more low key.
The only time the palace really wants us to talk about the King and politics in one breath is when he performs his constitutional duties and oversees the appointment of the prime minister after 4 July.