The 85-year-old veteran British actor was knighted for his contributions to the performing arts in 1991 and met the Queen at least once when she personally appointed him Companion of Honour (CH) for his work in drama and equality in 2008.
The Lord of the Rings star expressed his belief that the late monarch was “quite mad at the end” as he recounted some uncomfortable interactions with her.
“The Queen, I’m sure she was quite mad at the end. And on the few occasions I met her she was quite rude,” he told The Times. “When I received a medal for acting (the Companion of Honour in 2008), she said, ‘You’ve been doing this for an awfully long time.’
“I said, ‘Well, not as long as you.’ 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*** about you because I don’t. Now off you go!’”
The actor from Burnley continued by illustrating how the late Queen greeted him, claiming she “shoved” him away when he extended his hand, adding: “That was her handshake and it meant, ‘Go! Go!’”
In the same interview, Sir Ian expressed his support for Prince Harry amidst the duke’s ongoing estrangement from his brother and father.
While reportedly pointing to a copy of Harry’s controversial memoir, Spare, in his east London home, Sir Ian stated: “I’m most definitely on Harry’s side.”
He remarked: “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?”
“Hats off to anyone who manages to stay sane in that world,” he added.
“Like the [late] Duke of Edinburgh managed to do, although even he was deeply, deeply eccentric and I suspect deeply unhappy. 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.”
His remarks follow his dramatic fall on stage when he lost his footing during a performance of PlayerKings at the Noel Coward Theatre in June.
Since then, he has been coping with a chipped vertebra and a fractured wrist, and he has stated that he is taking the rest of the year off from acting to recover.