Tom Cruise broke the 'unwritten rule' by holding Kate Middleton's hand on the red carpet

Hollywood star Tom Cruise  proved himself to be the perfect gentleman when he offered his hand to Kate Middleton to help her walk to the premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick”.

Although his gesture was no doubt kind, contact with members of the royal family is always a ‘dangerous’ matter.

According to the royal family’s website, there is no ‘mandatory code of conduct’ when meeting the Queen or a member of the royal family, but there is an unwritten rule that you should not go beyond a handshake.

However, American stars can’t resist going beyond the more reserved greeting when in the presence of the royal family, as Tom revealed at last night’s event.

He follows in the footsteps of other Americans who have surprised, including Michelle Obama who famously had her arm around the Queen and LeBron James who did the same with Kate Middleton.

Among the most famously touching moments occurred during a meeting between the Queen and then First Lady Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace.

The Obamas visited Her Majesty in April 2009, when she put an arm around the Queen, who returned the favor and put an arm around the First Lady. /Telegraph/