LONDON (AP) King Charles wont be out and about much over the next six weeks and its not because of his ongoing cancer treatments .

Shortly after U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called an early parliamentary election for July 4 , Buckingham Palace said that all members of the royal family were canceling most public engagements until after the vote to avoid doing anything that might divert attention from the campaign .

That announcement is just one of the ways that Charles will seek to play his part as a unifying head of state during the election, without violating a constitutional ban on interfering in politics. While the kings role in government is largely ceremonial, its bound up by traditions that embody the way royal powers were gradually transferred to Parliament over the last 800 years.

Heres a look at the monarchs role in the run up to the election, including a few dos and donts.