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It seems like there's never a dull moment coming out of the British royal family. Actor Sir Ian McKellen recently sat down for an interview with The Times and had some bombshell claims to make about some prominent royals. His comments have certainly caused a stir.
To start, Sir Ian said that he believes Prince Harry is "probably not bright enough" to have successfully navigated a life as a working royal. He stated that having such a public role in the royal family is incredibly challenging and difficult to withstand while maintaining one's sanity. Sir Ian said you have to be extremely intelligent to cope with that level of scrutiny and pressure on a daily basis.
While Prince Harry has certainly proved himself capable by distancing himself from the Firm and launching a new life in California with Meghan Markle, Sir Ian doesn't think he was cut out for the constraints of royal duty long term. His comments have sparked some backlash, as many feel Harry has demonstrated tremendous bravery and resilience. However, Sir Ian was simply giving his perspective based on his own encounters with the royals over the years.
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In addition to his thoughts on Prince Harry, Sir Ian shared some unflattering views of other prominent family members. He stated that Prince Philip appeared "deeply unhappy" during the times they met. Sir Ian also claimed that Prince Charles seems "clearly damaged" by his life and experience growing up in the royal family.
Perhaps most shocking were Sir Ian's claims about the late Queen Elizabeth II. He said that on multiple occasions when they met, the Queen asked him bluntly "does anyone actually still go to the theater?" Sir Ian said she asked it in a manner that was very rude. He also said her handshakes were firm and implied it was time to go away immediately after. Very telling insights into Her Majesty's private behavior from someone who interacted with her several times over the years.
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Sir Ian's scathing bombshells about some popular royals have certainly stirred the pot. But across the pond, another royal is facing fresh scrutiny and backlash - Prince Andrew. The disgraced Duke of York just can't seem to escape renewed focus on his past disastrous behavior.
Amazon Prime is set to debut a new TV series titled "A Very Royal Scandal" that will zero in on Prince Andrew's infamous and trainwreck 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis. The streaming service has released a first look photo of actor Michael Sheen portraying Andrew, which is sure to get people talking once more about the duke's legal issues.
A trailer for the series has also dropped, teasing dramatization of the key moments from Andrew's car crash TV sit down. In it, he failed to show any remorse over his friendship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and complete lack of sympathy for Epstein's victims. Andrew's interview attempts at defending himself only fueled more controversy and doubt over his version of events.
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The new TV program promises to keep interest in the Epstein scandal swirling around Andrew once more. And it's not just this one show - there have been multiple documentaries, movies and other projects focused on Andrew's problematic ties to Epstein in recent years. Each fresh depiction of events continues to undermine any rebuilding of Andrew's reputation that Buckingham Palace has tried.
Unsurprisingly, insiders say Andrew and his family are less than pleased to see another dramatization hitting screens soon. It just continues reopening old wounds for the disgraced duke, who was stripped of his royal titles earlier this year. Legal troubles still loom as accuser Virginia Giuffre's civil lawsuit against Andrew moves forward in New York.
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The cycle of renewed focus on Andrew's past will surely irritate other senior royals too. Just as they attemptDamage control and try guiding attention back to King Charles' accession and Prince William's important work, bombshells from Sir Ian and projects like Amazon's series steer narratives in an unwanted direction. It's yet another messy situation for the House of Windsor that seems to never stop giving.
Between Sir Ian's criticism of multiple family members and fresh backlash heading Andrew's way via Amazon's television show, it's certainly turning into another chaotic week for Britain's most famous clan. The royals can never seem to catch a break or avoid embarrassing controversies for long. Their every move remains under intense scrutiny. Only time will tell what other messy stories and claims emerge from the royal sphere next.
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