Drama Unfolds:King Charles snubbed by The Split star as he swipes ‘I’m not bowing down in front of him’
Billy Elliot star Stephen Mangan, who was born in London to Irish parents, has made his feelings clear about receiving an honour from King Charles.
The 56-year-old actor is known for his roles in The Split, Billy Elliot, and Dirk Gently (Image: Getty Images)
Stephen Mangan has revealed that he wouldn’t want to bow to King Charles if he were ever bestowed with an honour by the monarch.
The 56-year-old actor and comedian, who is known for his roles in The Split, Billy Elliot, and Dirk Gently, explained that his reasoning for the snub was down to his Irish republican roots.
Stephen, who was born in London to Irish parents who hailed from Erris in County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland, told The Hard Shoulder Highlights podcast in 2023 that he has an “awful lot of family” in Mayo.
In a new interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, the actor was quizzed on whether an honour was in his future, but Stephen soon shot this notion down.
He said: “I wouldn’t do any of that. I’m from an Irish republican family. I’m not bowing down in front of King Charles.” The publication then questioned whether he’d been offered one, to which Stephen replied: “I wouldn’t be at liberty to say.”
Stephen Mangan has revealed that he wouldn’t bow to King Charles (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
It wouldn’t be the first time that an Irish actor has interacted with a member of the Royal Family in recent years as back in July 2017, Peaker Blinders star Cillian Murphy met Prince Harry at the premiere of Dunkirk in London.
The Duke of Sussex moved down the line before eventually meeting Cillian, with the two spotted talking and shaking hands. The actor was even seen giving dramatic facial expressions, reports the Irish Star.
However, fans noted that when Harry moved to the next person, Cillian was seen staring at the Duke prior to seemingly giving him a side-eye glance and turning away.
Meanwhile, Paul Mescal met King Charles at the premiere of Gladiator II, with the monarch spotted going down the line of castmates, beginning with director Ridley Scott.
Stephen’s parents hailed from Erris in County Mayo (Image: Getty Images)
Once he reached Paul, the actor was seen saying ‘nice to meet you’ and ‘how are you?’ as he shook hands with the King, with Charles then questioning whether he played the main character.
Historically, the Royal Family has a complex relationship with Ireland spanning back to its time as a British colony. The nation faced eight centuries of intervention before it achieved its independence in 1921, reports Time.
However, there may be an attempt by the Royals to address Anglo-Irish relations in the future, as it was reported in July that Charles could make a state visit to the Republic of Ireland.
A government source in Ireland told The Sunday Times it was apparent that Charles “wants to visit”, with a UK Government source suggesting that King Charles and Queen Camilla “definitely” want to visit.
