06 September 2024
Newsdesk
Ian McKellen has claimed Queen Elizabeth II was "quite rude" to him.
The veteran actor blasted the late monarch for her alleged rudeness on the "few occasions" they crossed paths, particularly when she presented him with the Companion of Honour medal in 2008.
"When I received a medal for acting, she said, 'You've been doing this for an awfully long time.' I said, 'Well, not as long as you,'" McKellen recalled in an interview with The Times. "I got a royal smile for that, but then she said, 'Does anyone still actually go to the theatre?' That's b**ody rude when you're giving someone a medal for acting. It meant, 'Does anyone care a f**k about you because I don't. Now off you go!'"
According to the reporter, The Lord of the Rings actor then acted out the encounter by pretending to shake his hand but actually shoving him away. He added, "That was her handshake and it meant, 'Go! Go!'"
He also alleged that the monarch was "quite mad" before she died in September 2022 aged 96.
On the topic of the royal family, the 85-year-old British actor declared he was on Prince Harry's side and understood why he stepped down as a working royal and relocated to California, although he claimed the Duke of Sussex was "probably not bright enough".
"Hats off to anyone who manages to stay sane in that world. Like the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip) managed to do, although even he was deeply, deeply eccentric and I suspect, deeply unhappy," he stated. "Same with the present king (King Charles III). He sort of survives, but he is clearly damaged."
