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McKellen took knighthood through lack of 'principle'
The Independent
|September 08, 2024
Sir Ian McKellen has explained why he accepted a knighthood after considering turning down the offer.
The Lord of the Rings actor was knighted by Elizabeth II in 1991 for services to the performing arts, and in 2008 was given the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to drama and to equality. However, Sir Ian, who said he found the monarch “quite rude” on “the few occasions” he met her, claimed he would have turned down becoming a “sir” if he was “a man of adamant principle”.
Sir Ian said in an interview with
This story is from the September 08, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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