Ian McKellen Says Queen Elizabeth Was 'Quite Rude' and King Charles Is 'Clearly Damaged'

The actor aired some explosive opinions about the royal family in a new interview

Sir Ian McKellan has some thoughts about the royal family.

In an interview with The Times in the U.K. published on Friday, Sept. 6, the actor recalled his first interaction with the late Queen Elizabeth. “The Queen, I’m sure she was quite mad at the end,” McKellan, 85, said. “And on the few occasions I met her she was quite rude."

"When I received a medal for acting [the Companion of Honor in 2008], she said, ‘You’ve been doing this for an awfully long time.' " McKellan responded, hoping the joke would land: "Well, not as long as you."

"I got a royal smile for that, but then she said, ‘Does anyone still actually go to the theatre?’ That’s bloody rude when you’re giving someone a medal for acting," he continued. "It meant, ‘Does anyone care a f*** about you because I don’t. Now off you go!’ ”

Related: Ian McKellen Open to Returning as Gandalf in New Lord of the Rings Movies but Says 'They Better Be Quick!'

The Lord of the Rings alum also said, "Hats off to anyone who manages to stay sane in that world," referring to the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, who died in 2021. "Although even he was deeply, deeply eccentric and I suspect deeply unhappy."

"Same with the present king," he continued, referring to King Charles. "He sort of survives, but he is clearly damaged."

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Elsewhere in the interview, McKellan spoke about Prince Harry, who stepped back from his role as a senior working royal in 2020. The actor said he is "most definitely on Harry’s side." The publication noted that Harry's memoir Spare was "open on the table in front of him" at the time of the interview.

"Imagine being born into the royal family," the actor said. "I’ve been in public life a bit, but these people are in prison. They can’t do anything normal. Can you imagine having to be nice to everyone you talk to?"

McKellan added that Harry, 39, is "probably not bright enough or doesn’t have the right friends to really help himself." "Mind you, he had the pick of all the pretty women in the world. I hope he’s got the right one.”

Related: Queen Elizabeth Found Donald Trump to Be 'Very Rude,' New Book Claims

McKellan has been vocal about his royal family interactions. He shared another anecdote in 2018 about the royal family during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. The two-time Oscar nominee claimed he and Dame Judi Dench had sat on Queen Elizabeth's throne while attending a banquet at Buckingham Palace.

“We went on dancing around the corner, and we found ourselves behind the band, and there behind this sort of partition was the thrones…so we sat on them,” McKellan said at the time.

He added jokingly, “It brings out the worst in you, Buckingham Palace."

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