Michelle hugs Queen and starts new British tradition

Note to self: It's OK to hug a queen.

The embrace between Michelle Obama and Queen Elizabeth was totally appropriate. In fact, this is now the standard way to greet a queen.

Moreover, when spotting the queen it is actually preferred to run up and pick her off the ground. You can even throw her up in the air like a beach ball.

Things are so relaxed around Buckingham Palace now that anything goes. It's like South Beach.

Snippity

And because of this, the Times of London is snipping at the American media for what they call sensationalizing yesterday's embrace between the British monarch and the First Lady.

"Some of the more excitable elements of the media – particularly the Americans – suggested she may have been guilty of a breach of protocol," snips the Times.

Was it?

"Hardly," they snoot. "Buckingham Palace was very relaxed today about the incident, and attitudes there have changed significantly..."

To prove it, they even phoned 'em.

“This was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection and appreciation between The Queen and Michelle Obama,” said a Palace spokeswoman.

Shame

We're all for spontaneous displays of affection. And we agree with the Times' consternation. Those American media outlets should feel ashamed.

Like the U.K.'s Daily Mail which leads with:

Or London's Telegraph which shockingly reported:

Or the British Guardian newspaper which threw out all journalistic integrity when they wrote:

Joke

Thankfully, we here at the Monitor were only joking when we said it was a breach of protocol.

But no one is funnier than those wacky comedians doing all the criticism -- the Times of London. Before criticizing those excitable elements of the media -- like the Americans -- they originally reported (of course in jest):

Oh, those excitable Americans...

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