‘King’ LeBron breaks royal protocol with arm around Kate Middleton

MANILA, Philippines – Just because he is “King” LeBron James, doesn’t mean he can touch royalty.

The NBA superstar was caught breaching supposed royal protocol when he put his arm around the visiting Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton during a photo opportunity in New York on Monday, December 8 (Tuesday, December 9 in Manila).

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were on a 3-day trip to New York which included attending their first NBA basketball game – a regular season tussle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets.

James met the royal couple following his team’s 110-88 rout of Brooklyn and gave them gifts such as a special Cavaliers jersey marked with Cambridge, and another smaller version specifically for their one-year old son Prince George. He also presented them with cupcakes made from his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

The 4-time Most Valuable Player put his arm around the Duchess for a moment in a friendly gesture and was immediately caught by photographers.

Middleton, known to be a “down to earth” royal, remained courteous despite the alleged faux pas.

According to the official website of The British Monarchy, “There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms.”

The website detailed specific gestures and behavior when in front of a member of the royal family as well as the proper way of addressing them in conversation, but no specific protocol was stated on touching the royals.

A similar eyebrow-raising moment happened in 2009 when US First Lady Michelle Obama wrapped her arm around the Queen’s shoulder. There were conflicting reports on whether or not the Queen initiated contact or returned the gesture.

James posted a photo of his once in a lifetime encounter on his Instagram account and captioned it with: “This very moment will be forever remembered and put up in my house. It’s all good and all smiles on this side.”

Check out the photos of “King” James’ close brush with the royal couple.