King Charles was likely “not insulted” following Paul Mescal’s brutally honest admission, a royal commentator has claimed.
The Irish actor met King Charles at the Gladiator II premiere on the monarch’s 76th birthday.
In a video posted by Variety from the LA premiere of the film, the County Kildare native revealed that meeting His Majesty “wasn’t on the list of priorities” as he is Irish.
Ireland achieved independence in 1921 after eight centuries of political and military involvement.
King Charles ‘not insulted’ following Paul Mescal’s brutally honest admission
Getty
“It’s never something I thought was on the bingo cards,” he told the publication.
He added: “I’m Irish, so it’s not on the list of priorities, but it’s an amazing thing for Ridley [Scott] because I know how important that is for him. So to see his film celebrated in that context was pretty special.”
Asked what he said to the King, Mescal said: “You just kind of nod along and, err… I found it kind of hard to hear what he was saying because your head is in such a frenzy. So you’re kind of just nodding along and smiling.”
Gareth Russell, a royal commentator and biographer of the late Queen Mother, spoke exclusively to GB News about this interaction, describing the reaction as “overblown”.
Paul Mescal waiting to greet King Charles at the Gladiator II premiere
PA
He added: “When he was asked, ‘How did it feel to meet the King?’, he said he was Irish, so it wasn’t on his list of priorities.
“The frustration from some Irish actors is that various journalists seem to think they’re British, and they’re often included amongst British actors.
“It sounded like, when I listened to the clip, that Paul Mescal was really just trying to be quite clear that he wasn’t meeting his head of state.
“However, if you listen to the rest of the clip, he’s not rude about the King. He doesn’t insult Britain or the monarchy.
Paul Mescal admitted that meeting King Charles was not a ‘priority’ for the Irish actor
PA
“He then goes on to say that he knew that meeting the King was a really big deal for his friend and director, Sir Ridley Scott, because Ridley is a British subject, and it was a great honour to see the monarch there and that was lovely for Mescal to see because he’s worked with Ridley Scott.
“I don’t think, having listened to the whole clip, that Mescal was insulting Britain or the King, I think he was just trying to be fairly clear that he’s not British and that he’s a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.”
Russell continued: “If you watch the whole clip, you can see him try to make, I think, a clear distinction between being an Irish citizen who was meeting a foreign head of state, but thinking that that was lovely for for his British colleagues.
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
King Charles looked dapper on the red carpet for the premiere
PA
“I don’t think there was any insult meant behind it.
“Obviously there is a long history with many Irish nationalists and Republicans being anti the British monarchy.
“But I think if you listen to what Mescal was saying, he was just being very clear, proud of a southern Irish identity, but not in any way, I think, personally insulting to the King at all.”
