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Lewis Hamilton and LeBron James Once Got Intro Trouble With British Royal Family for Breaking Protocols

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Lewis Hamilton and LeBron James Once Got Intro Trouble With British Royal Family for Breaking Protocols

Lewis Hamilton and LeBron James are two of the biggest names in all of sports. Even people who don’t follow F1 or basketball, know about these two legends because of all they have achieved in their respective fields.

When it comes to Formula 1, no driver has been as successful as Hamilton. He has the most number of race wins, fastest laps, and pole positions. The only record that Hamilton is yet to break is that of Michael Schumacher’s seven-world title wins, and he is just one title win away from doing so.

Coming to basketball, James is at the top of the world right now. He has always been regarded as one of the greatest players all of time, but earlier today, he managed to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, surpassing the great Laker, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The 38-year-old had to score 36 points against Oklahoma City Thunder to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 points and he did so in just 26 minutes.

However, no matter how big of a sports star you are, when it comes to respecting Royal Family traditions, everyone comes under the same category!

Also read: Charles Leclerc Baffled as Carlos Sainz Realises He Can Use a Steering Wheel While Racing

Lewis Hamilton spoke to Queen Elizabeth when he wasn’t allowed to

Today, Hamilton’s official title is Sir Lewis Hamilton after being awarded the knighthood by the late Queen Elizabeth. However, he was also given the MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) back in 2009 after winning his first world championship, and during the ceremony, he had an awkward encounter with the Queen.

After he received his MBE, he was invited to lunch where he took a seat next to the Queen. Hamilton got excited and began talking to her, but she pointed to the Brit’s left and asked him to start talking to people on that side. This is because they had to comply with the Royal protocols where the Queen herself would begin by conversing with people on her right.

Hamilton revealed that the Queen was very polite about this. He called her sweet and revealed that they spoke about each other’s lives, what they do on weekends, and the music they listen to.

Also read: Guanyu Zhou Reveals One Thing That Helps Him Bond With Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo

LeBron James put his hands around Princess Catherine

James did not have an awkward encounter with the Queen of England, but instead, found himself in a tough spot with the Prince of Wales, William, and Princess Catherine. The 19-time NBA all-star met the two during a visit but wasn’t aware of a certain protocol.

James put his arms around Princess Catherine as a friendly gesture but realized that he wasn’t allowed to do so. When the pictures came out, most people called it a breach of rules, but a spokesperson from Buckingham Palace later admitted that it wasn’t true.

They insisted that the Royal Family wants people to feel ‘as comfortable’ as possible when they meet them.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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