Sir Ian McKellen is spilling the royal tea, and it’s hotter than a freshly brewed pot of Earl Grey!
In a new interview, the 85-year-old acting legend—and proud owner of many fancy titles—took a walk down memory lane to recall some less than royal moments with none other than Queen Elizabeth herself. Yep, you heard that right: Sir Ian, the guy who played Gandalf and Magneto, once had an eyebrow-raising encounter with Her Majesty, and let’s just say, it wasn’t exactly tea and crumpets.
“The Queen? Oh, bless her heart. I’m fairly sure she was a bit batty toward the end,” Sir Ian quipped during his chat with The Times. “And on the rare occasions we crossed paths, well, let’s just say her manners weren’t fit for a queen… or even a royal corgi.”
Now, let’s rewind to 2008, when Queen Lizzie bestowed upon Sir Ian the illustrious title of Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (because, you know, being a wizard isn’t enough). You’d think this would be a heartwarming moment of royal-to-thespian respect, but nope! Instead, the Queen hit him with a zinger that had less charm and more shade.
“She looked me right in the eye and said, ‘You’ve been doing this for an awfully long time, haven’t you?’” Ian remembered, clearly still baffled. “So, I figured I’d throw a little shade back and replied, ‘Well, not as long as you, Your Majesty.’ She gave me a royal smile—you know, the kind that says, ‘Touché’—but then she dropped the real bomb. ‘Does anyone still actually go to the theatre?’”
Pause for gasps.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” Sir Ian said, shaking his head. “It was like she was saying, ‘Congrats on your medal, now bugger off because nobody cares about your little plays anymore!’”
Talk about royal sass! McKellen’s recount of Queen Liz’s not-so-subtle theater burn has left us all wondering if she ever tuned in to see Cats… or maybe she just didn’t like musicals? Either way, the Queen’s version of “small talk” sounds more like a verbal joust with a hint of shade thrown in for good measure.
But it wasn’t all tea-spilling about one-on-one royal sassery. Sir Ian also took a moment to ponder what life must be like for the royals—though, not without his signature wit.
“Can you even imagine being born into that family?” Ian mused. “I mean, I’ve been in the public eye a bit—okay, quite a lot—but those poor souls? It’s like they’re in a really posh prison with endless butlers and no privacy. They have to be nice to everyone all the time. Exhausting! I’d much rather face an angry Balrog than have to grin and bear a hundred state dinners.”
Sir Ian then did a deep dive into the royal menfolk, with some cheeky remarks on the dearly departed Prince Philip and the current monarch, King Charles.
“I mean, Prince Philip, he held it together, but let’s be honest—he was as eccentric as they come. The man was practically a walking Monty Python sketch. And King Charles? Well, he’s definitely been through the wringer, hasn’t he?”
And of course, no royal roast would be complete without a mention of everyone’s favorite ginger, Prince Harry.
“Ah, Harry,” Ian said with a twinkle in his eye, “I’m not sure if he’s got the smarts or the right pals to navigate this mess. But hey, he did have the pick of every pretty woman on the planet, so here’s hoping he landed the right one.”
Cue the mic drop.
Sir Ian McKellen doesn’t mince words when it comes to the monarchy. But hey, if you’ve faced down trolls, played Shakespeare’s greatest kings, and survived a few of Magneto’s existential crises, a little royal sass is just par for the course.
