No royal high five for Canada premier

TORONTO: Blame it on jet lag or maybe a precocious knowledge that his greatgrandmother is Canada’s head of state but Britain’s three-year-old Prince George just wasn’t going to be charmed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Landing in Canada on Saturday on a weeklong official visit with parents Prince William and Kate Middleton, George, holding his father’s hand, ignored Trudeau when he squatted down to the toddler’s level to offer a high-five variation, the lowfive.

Trudeau then switched his palm for a high-five and subsequently offered a handshake, both of which were seemingly rebuffed, creating an awkward moment on the airport tarmac in the western province of British Columbia.

Canadians felt the princely snub acutely, accustomed as they are to seeing their young prime minister win over millions of fans around the world and attain social media star status.

“My heart broke 15 times for Trudeau in this,” said a Twitter user with the handle OhAlexaandra. “Justin Trudeau getting denied a high five by a toddler (even if it was the son of the prince) is a great analogy for modern global affairs,” said a Twitter user with the handle EmMcCon.

George did shake hands with Barack Obama on his visit to England in April, when the prince was allowed to greet the US president dressed in natty pyjamas and a robe before he went to bed.

George and his year-old sister, Princess Charlotte, are in Canada for the first time but it is the second trip for their parents, who visited in 2011.

On Sunday, William and Kate were to visit the Immigration Services Society of British Columbia to meet staff and volunteers who are helping recent migrants to the area. – Reuters