Ian McKellen claims Queen Elizabeth II was 'quite rude' to him, is on 'Harry's side' of royal feud

Sir Ian McKellen has claimed that the beloved Queen Elizabeth II was not as she seemed, with the X-Men star sharing "on the few occasions I met her she was quite rude."

In a recent profile for The Times of London, the 85-year-old recalled receiving a Companion of Honour medal from the monarch in 2008, though he said that what she said as he accepted it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"When I received a medal for acting, she said, 'You've been doing this for an awfully long time.' I said, 'Well, not as long as you,'" the actor recalled.

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"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. It meant, 'Does anyone care a f--k about you because I don't. Now off you go!'"

McKellen even went as far as acting out his encounter with the Queen, with The Times saying he pretended to shake the interviewer's hand but instead shoved the reporter away with "some force."

"That was her handshake and it meant, 'Go! Go!'" he said.

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It may be due to this impression that the actor has picked a clear side amid the great royal feud between the Sussexes and the larger royal family.

In the same profile, the actor was leafing through a copy of Prince Harry's memoir Spare when he candidly admitted, "I'm most definitely on Harry's side.

"Imagine being born into the royal family. I've been in public life a bit, but these people are in prison," he said.

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"They can't do anything normal. Can you imagine having to be nice to everyone you talk to? Hats off to anyone who manages to stay sane in that world."

The royal rift first occurred in 2020, when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down from being senior working royals.

They consequently moved to the US and have begun making a life there, funding their lifestyle with deals with Netflix, Spotify, and new business ventures.

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