How Harry and Meghan Lakers Fanfare Compares to William and Kate

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance at the Los Angeles Lakers v. Memphis Grizzlies NBA game on Monday night to the delight of a number of fans who cheered as they appeared on the crypto.com arena jumbotron screens.

The couple's attendance at the game—which the Lakers won by 117 points to 111— follows a similar visit made by Prince William and Kate Middleton, who attended an NBA game between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat during an official trip to the city of Boston in November 2022.

Though Harry and Meghan's game visit was unannounced, the Lakers' home arena court screens cut to live footage of the couple in their seats during a break in play. Spectators who captured the screen appearance in the arena and posted the footage to social media can be heard cheering with whistles also audible in the background.

This is not the first sporting event Harry has attended since moving to the U.S. with Meghan in 2020 amid the well publicized rift with the royal family.

In 2022, the prince was spotted as a spectator at the Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. He was accompanied at the event by his cousin, Princess Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson.

Harry and Meghan's reception from Lakers fans contrasts to the scenes witnessed when William and Kate visited the Boston Celtics TD Garden arena on November 30.

Though the royal couple received cheers from fans in the arena, social media footage from the game also captured a mixture of audible boos and chanting of "U.S.A, U.S.A, U.S.A."

The couple—who had only recently assumed the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022—were visiting Boston to attend events connected with William's eco-initiative, the Earthshot Prize.

On the day they arrived in the city, the royal family became engulfed in another public race storm, when a veteran member of the royal household was accused of making racially insensitive comments to a black U.K. charity boss during a Buckingham Palace reception.

The royal household member was identified as Lady Susan Hussey, William's godmother and a former Lady in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II for over six decades.

Hussey resigned from her role and a spokesperson for William announced to the media covering his tour that: "The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect."

As the news coverage of the Hussey race row circulated, William and Kate began their round of engagements in Boston, closing their first day with the visit to the Celtics game.

Despite winning over fans on social media with photographs of Kate resting her hand on William's knee while wearing a vintage Chanel blazer, and laughing as they talked through developments in the game—won by the Celtics—the royal couple didn't appear to win around at least two stars on the court that evening.

Celtics player Jaylen Brown gave an uninspired response when asked at a post-game press call "what was it like to be in front of royalty tonight?"

He answered "It was just a regular game to me," without elaborating.

Similarly, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla claimed to only know one "royal family" when asked if he met the couple at the game: "Jesus, Mary and Joseph?"

Despite this, William and Kate remain popular in the U.S. at large.

According to exclusive polling for Newsweek undertaken by strategists Redfield & Wilton in April 2023, the couple are the most popular royals among the American public, with William's net approval rating at +41 and Kate's at +43.

By contrast, Prince Harry's net approval rating was +8 and Meghan Markle's -6.

Newsweek approached representatives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the NBA via email for comment.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.