Sir Ian McKellen Is Asked To 'Return His Knighthood' After Calling Queen Elizabeth 'Rude' And 'Mad'

Sir Ian McKellen has been criticized and called upon to return his knighthood after a recent interview in which he called Queen Elizabeth II "rude" and "quite mad."

The actor's comments were about his conversation with the late queen during his knighting ceremony. Now, experts have challenged his statements and asked him to return the royal honor.

During the interview, Ian McKellen also criticized other royal family members, including King Charles III, Prince Philip, and the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry.

The iconic actor recently had an interview with The Times, in which he reflected on the few meetings he had with the queen during her reign, especially when he was appointed Companion of Honour for his services to drama and equality.

He said, "The Queen, I'm sure she was quite mad at the end. And on the few occasions I met her she was quite rude."

McKellen recalled his award ceremony and the conversation he had with Queen Elizabeth, labeling it a "bloody rude" interaction.

She allegedly told the actor, "You've been doing this for an awfully long time." In response, McKellen said, "But not as long as you," which reportedly earned him "a Royal smile."

The queen then shocked him further by saying, "Does anyone still actually go to the theatre?"'

Explaining her remark, McKellen said, "It meant, 'Does anyone care a f-ck about you because I don't. Now off you go!'"

McKellen's statements about Elizabeth have earned him heavy criticism from several royal experts.

They challenged the truth of his claims and even called for the "Lord of the Rings" actor to return his knighthood honor. He received the highly esteemed honor in 1991 for his services to the performing arts.

Royal biographer Margaret Holder spoke to the Daily Express about McKellen's statements about the late queen.

She said, "Perhaps if Sir Ian feels so slighted by the queen he could consider returning his knighthood, although he may regret that in the future."

Another royal expert Dickie Arbiter, who was the official spokesman for the queen for over a decade, asked why McKellen accepted the award if he felt this way.

Royal biographer Christopher Wilson also challenged the truth of McKellen's claims, saying there's no recorded instance of the late queen speaking rudely to anyone.

During his interview with The Times, McKellen revealed that he considered rejecting being knighted but was convinced by his friend, actor, and Stonewall co-founder Michael Cashman. He explained the benefits the honor would bring McKellen, which made the Hollywood star agree.

"And he was right, because being a knight opens doors," McKellen noted. "I mean, look at Sir Keir Starmer. A big part of his success was that the BBC had to keep calling him 'Sir Keir.' It made him sound terribly respectable. Poor old Boris Johnson doesn't even have an MBE."

McKellen also spoke about the backlash he received after he finally accepted the honor.

The "X-Men" actor shared that a friend spoke to him days after and issued a warning: "You are about to discover your best friends are your worst enemies."

McKellen gave his opinion on several prominent members of the royal family aside from Queen Elizabeth.

He spoke about King Charles being "clearly damaged" because he was a member of the royal family and said the late Prince Philip was "deeply eccentric and unhappy."

McKellen also criticized Prince Harry, claiming the duke was "probably not bright enough" to handle life as a royal and didn't have "the right friends" to support him.

Despite his criticism, McKellen insisted that he is "definitely on Prince Harry's side" in the ongoing royal feud.

McKellen also shared his honest opinion of royal life and how the duties and public exposure associated with it can be taxing on those who live it.

He likened royal life to a "prison" and said, "Hats off to anyone who manages to stay sane in that world."

McKellen also reflected on his experience after a recent fall on stage, which left him hospitalized. The actor was wrapping up a fight scene when the accident happened.

Recounting what went on in his head as he was airborne, he said, "As I began gliding, I thought, this is the end. I didn't know what it was the end of — certainly that night's performance — but as I progressed I was ready to accept that I might be about to die."

The actor landed on a member of the audience, who, alongside him, was also rushed to the hospital at the time.

"I shouted out, 'Help me!' and then, 'I'm sorry,'" he explained. "And then finally I cried, 'This isn't me. I don't do this,' because there's nothing worse for a stage actor than to miss a performance."