When King James
touched the future queen of England on the shoulder after a basketball game,
royal watchers cried foul.
LeBron James, whose
nickname is "King James," met Prince William and his wife Kate at an
NBA game between Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets in New York on Monday.
The three posed for a photograph and James put his right hand on the Duchess of
Cambridge's right shoulder.
According to
protocol in Britain, a commoner is not supposed to touch members of the royal
family — even if it is an innocent gesture.
Photos of the meeting appeared throughout the British media, with many outlets
highlighting the breach and pointing out James' sweaty post-game shirt.
"He may be
known as 'King James' stateside but LeBron James raised more than a few
eyebrows when he got up close with Kate, still dressed in a soggy
sweater," the Daily Mirror wrote.
Kate, who is five
months pregnant with the couple's second child, stood between James and her
husband and smiled for the cameras, but the Independent newspaper said she
appeared "somewhat awkward as photographers snapped away merrily."
The official
website of the British Monarchy says "there are no obligatory codes of
behavior" for meeting a member of the royal family, "but many people
wish to observe the traditional forms."
"For men this
is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy," the
website says.
In 2009, the
British media criticized another American breach of the "no-touch"
rule when Michelle Obama put her arm on Queen Elizabeth II's back at Buckingham
Palace.
William, who is the
grandson of the queen and second in line to the throne after his father, Prince
Charles, was on a three-day visit to the United States with Kate.
During the meeting
with James, the American player presented the royals with two Cleveland
jerseys. One was yellow and had the name "Cambridge" on the back with
the No. 7 under it, and the other was red and much smaller with
"George" printed over the No. 1 for their 1-year-old son, Prince
George
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