Sir Ian McKellen, the acclaimed actor, is facing mounting calls to return his knighthood following controversial remarks he made about the late Queen Elizabeth II. In a recent interview with The Times, the actor described the Queen as “rude” and “quite mad,” sparking a backlash from royal experts and supporters of the monarchy.
McKellen, who was knighted in 1991 for his contributions to performing arts and later received the prestigious Companion of Honour from the Queen in 2008, shared his unflattering opinion of the late monarch during the interview. He recalled a personal encounter in which the Queen remarked, “You’ve been doing this for an awfully long time,” to which McKellen responded, “Well not as long as you.” The actor then shared that the Queen followed up with, “Does anyone still actually go to the theatre?”—a comment he described as “bloody rude.”
While McKellen’s comments have sparked a strong reaction, the actor has yet to respond to the growing criticism or the calls for him to return his knighthood.
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