Ian McKellen’s comments about the Queen are a step too far

Of all the people who might come forward to attack the memory of the late, lamented Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Ian McKellen – a CBE and Companion of Honour, no less – would not be high on the list. Yet in a candid interview that he has given to the Times, McKellen has labelled the late Queen both rude and borderline insane. Few would have expected one of Britain’s greatest actors to hold forth with such strong opinions about the monarchy, but apropos of little, McKellen asked his interviewer: ‘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?’

Many might regard this as a fair point, but McKellen then went on to declare:

The Queen, I’m sure she was quite mad at the end.