Sir Ian McKellen has been called upon to give back his knighthood after accusing the late Queen of being “rude” and “quite mad”.
The veteran actor made the remarks during a recent interview with a newspaper. He said: “I’m sure the Queen was quite angry at the end. And on the few occasions I met her she was quite rude.”
Now his comments have come under fire from royal experts who have even gone so far as to suggest the actor should regain his knighthood.
Sir Ian was awarded the honour for his services to the performing arts in 1991. Then, 17 years later, in 2008, the late monarch made him a Companion of Honour for his services to theatre and equality.
Talking with The Daily ExpressRoyal biographer Margaret Holder said: “Perhaps if Sir Ian feels so slighted by the Queen he might consider handing back his knighthood, although he may regret it in the future.”
Sir Ian McKellen (pictured) was knighted for services to the performing arts in 1991 and in 2008 was made a Companion of Honour by the late monarch for services to drama and equality.
Sir Ian with Queen Elizabeth II as he received his Companion of Honour for his services to drama and equality. The 85-year-old actor says he found the conversation during the ceremony “rude”
Sir Ian’s claims have been questioned by royal biographer Christopher Wilson, who questioned whether there were any recorded instances of the Queen being rude to anyone.
Dickie Arbiter, the late Queen’s official spokesman from 1988 to 2000 and one of her closest confidants, questioned why Sir Ian had accepted the award.
Speaking in the same interview, the Lord of the Rings actor recalled a conversation with Queen when he received his award in 2008.
The 85-year-old recalled the Queen telling him: “You’ve been doing this for a very long time.” To which he replied: “Well, not as long as you have.”
“She gave me a real smile about that, but then she said, ‘Does anyone still go to the theater?'” he said.
Sir Ian says he found the interaction “very rude”.
She added: ‘It meant: ‘Does anyone give a shit about you because I don’t? Now get out!”
However, Sir Ian’s claims were questioned by royal biographer Christopher Wilson, who questioned whether there were any recorded instances of the Queen being rude to anyone.
Sir Ian almost turned down the knighthood, but fellow actor Michael Cashman convinced him to accept it, telling him it would open doors for him.
He said: ‘Look at Sir Keir Starmer. A lot of his success was down to the BBC having to keep calling him ‘Sir Keir’. It made him sound awfully respectable. Poor Boris Johnson doesn’t even have an MBE.’