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

Sir Ian was knighted for services to the performing arts in 1991 and Queen Elizabeth II appointed him Companion of Honour for his services to drama and equality in 2008.

McKellen also believed that the queen was “quite mad” toward the end of her life. The royal highness passed away at age 96 in 2022. Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t the only family member “The Good Liar” actor had strong opinions about.

Ian McKellen, 85, believed Queen Elizabeth II was "quite mad at the end" and claimed the monarch had spoken to him in an impolite manner when presenting him with an acting award in 2008. Speaking with The Times in an interview released on Friday, September 6, McKellen revealed that "on the few occasions I met her she was quite rude".

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,