Ian McKellen Rips Into ‘Not Bright’ Prince Harry, ‘Clearly Damaged’ King Charles And Other Royals
Sir Ian McKellen has never been one to mince words, and his latest remarks about the royal family are no exception.
In a scathing critique, McKellen slammed several senior members of the monarchy, including Prince Harry, who he said was “not bright enough” to cope with royal life, and King Charles III, who he noted was “clearly damaged” by being a royal member.
Sir Ian McKellen, who continues to recover from the fall accident he suffered during a production of Robert Icke’s Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre on June 17, reserved his most biting commentary for the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In a new interview with Michael Odell of The Times, McKellen hurled harsh words at several royal family members and alleged that the late Queen Elizabeth was rude to him.
The “Lord of the Rings” star, who controversially accepted and was conferred a knighthood award by Elizabeth in 1991, said that Harry was “not bright enough” to cope with royal life and that the late queen was “rude” and “quite mad” in her final years.
He also added that King Charles was apparently “damaged” from his life as a royal member.
During the interview, McKellen, who had a copy of Harry’s 2023 bombshell memoir “Spare” in his library, noted that he is “most definitely on Harry’s side” in the royal feud.
The actor explained, “Imagine being born into the royal family. 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?”
Meanwhile, Harry has not had to live by the royal code since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their royal duties and relocated to California, where they currently live with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
In his interview with The Times, McKellen was seemingly concerned by the impact real-life royal duties had on its members’ mental health, doffing his “hats off to anyone who manages to stay sane in that world.”
“Like the [late] Duke of Edinburgh managed to do, although even he was deeply, deeply eccentric and I suspect deeply unhappy,” he continued. “Same with the present king. He sort of survives, but he is clearly damaged.”
“As for Harry, he’s 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,” he added.
