A cat may look at a king

A cat may look at a king

Examples

"You've been watching me for the last day or two. Why?" Lavington's eyes twinkled a little. "That's rather an awkward question. A cat can look at a king, you know." "Don't put me off. I'm in earnest. Why was it? I've a vital reason for asking" (Christie)

Waiting till he began to move away, she ran down the Mews and round the far corner to catch him. "Dinny! How wonderful!" "I was told I should catch you looking at the Queen." "Yes, that's what the cat has come to." (Galsworthy)

There was a ship model on the mantelshelf, and over it hung an old portrait of Peter the Great, who, you know, once gave the dockyard cats of Holland a fine chance to look at a king, which is one of the special prerogatives of cats. (Dodge)

"I beg him to speak out like a man; and not to look at me and my daughters as if he could eat us." "As to looking, I have heard it said, Mrs. Ned," returned Mr. George, angrily, "that a cat is free to contemplate a monarch." (Dickens)

Russian translation

Кошка может смотреть на короля.
И простые люди имеют свои права.
Смотреть ни на кого не возбраняется.

Variation

Synonyms
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.

Comparison

Вольно псу и на владыку брехать.
Все равны под солнцем.
За погляд денег не берут.