Sir Ian McKellen has been asked to return his knighthood after accusing the late Queen of being “rude” and “quite mad”.
The veteran actor made the remarks in a recent newspaper interview, saying: “The Queen was certainly quite angry at the end. And on the few occasions I met her, she was quite rude.”
Now his comments have been criticized by royal experts, who even went so far as to suggest that the actor should be given back his knighthood.
Sir Ian was awarded the honour for services to the performing arts in 1991. Seventeen years later, in 2008, the late monarch made him a Companion of Honour for services to drama and equality.
Speaking to the Daily Express, royal biographer Margaret Holder said: “If Sir Ian feels so slighted by the Queen, he might consider returning his knighthood, even though he might regret it in the future.”
Sir Ian McKellen (pictured) was knighted for services to the performing arts in 1991 and in 2008 the late monarch made him a Companion of Honour for services to drama and equalities.
Sir Ian with Queen Elizabeth II as he received his consort for his services to drama and equality. The 85-year-old says he found the conversation during the ceremony “rude”
Sir Ian’s claims were challenged by royal biographer Christopher Wilson, who questioned whether there were any documented instances of the Queen being rude to anyone.
Dickie Arbiter, the late Queen’s official spokesman between 1988 and 2000 and one of her close confidants, asked why Sir Ian had accepted the award in the first place.
In the same interview, the Lord of the Rings actor recalled a conversation he had with Queen Elizabeth when he accepted his award in 2008.
The 85-year-old recalled the Queen saying: “You’ve been doing this for an awful long time.” To which he replied: “Well, not as long as you.”
“I got a royal smile for that, but then she said, ‘Does anyone still go to the theater?'” he said.
Sir Ian says he found the interaction “damn rude.”
He added: “It meant: ‘Does anyone care about you, because I don’t. Now go!'”
However, Sir Ian’s claims were challenged by royal biographer Christopher Wilson, who questioned whether there were documented instances of the Queen being rude to anyone.
Sir Ian almost turned down the knighthood, but fellow actor Michael Cashman persuaded him to accept, saying the award would open all doors for him.
He said: “I mean, look at Sir Keir Starmer. A big part of his success was that the BBC had to call him ‘Sir Keir’ all the time. It made him sound awfully respectable. Poor old Boris Johnson doesn’t even have an MBE.”
