‘I think Charles is turning out to be a great King’: This Hollywood legend holds no truck with those who want to ‘chuck’ away the Royal Family

There’s an ongoing debate over the Royal Family’s relevance. Some celebrities were quick to criticize the monarchy, but Sir Michael Caine is not one of them. He offered a spirited defense for the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles.

In his book Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over: My Guide to Life, Caine talks about his relationship with the monarchy, which grew stronger after he received a knighthood in 2000. Caine recalls the warmth he felt when Queen Elizabeth II knighted him at Buckingham Palace, a moment he treasures to this day. “She had such an extraordinary reign,” Caine muses in the book. “The outpouring of love and respect when she died was amazing—you could see that she had represented something very special to people.” His words come as a touching tribute to the Queen.

Everyone in Caine’s circle does not share this support for the monarchy. His fellow acting legend, Sir Ian McKellen, was recently in the headlines for his harsh words about the monarchy. McKellen labeled the late Queen as “rude” and “quite mad.” He even went as far as to say that Prince Harry was “not bright enough” for the royal duties. McKellen was basically saying that royal life is not normal: “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.” Was this an attack on the monarchy? Caine’s perspective is different; he believes that the monarchy is a stabilizing force at the heart of British society.

“I think Charles is turning out to be a great King, too,” Caine said. For him, the monarchy isn’t some relic of a bygone era nor a threat to British democracy. Quite the opposite — he argues it’s invaluable to the nation’s democratic structure. “The monarchy isn’t anti-democratic; it’s one of the ways our democracy has lasted,” he wrote. According to Caine, “we’d be mad” to abandon such a stabilizing institution. The Batman star also included lighter moments in his book. He recalled a reception at Windsor Castle, where he once shared a joke with Queen Elizabeth II herself. “She laughed,” he remembers. “I don’t know if it was out of kindness, but she laughed.”

So, who is out of pocket here? Caine or McKellen? Well, both actors are correct and incorrect in a way. McKellen is right that the monarchy can be a bit crazy. But it’s not about whether the Queen was rude or not. People have a problem with how much the monarchy is spending. Britain isn’t part of the European Union anymore, and its economy is struggling. It makes sense that people will be frustrated with taxpayer money going to the royals. McKellen didn’t say anything about this; he just talked about what he thinks about the Royals as individuals, which has nothing to do with their role in democracy.

Caine was right that the monarchy was integral to Britain. The Royals do their part in diplomacy. The late Queen was famous for her diplomatic efforts. She prevented tensions from escalating during the Margaret Thatcher and Zambia conflict. She supported Nelson Mandela and helped him stop the apartheid in South Africa. The Queen knew a lot of people personally, and she was able to stop them from doing stupid things. And that’s why people loved her. Caine can’t ignore those people in Britain who despise how much money goes to the Royals, however. But Caine’s comments were positive; McKellen was kind of “hating.” No one was exactly right or wrong.

Even though public figures’ opinions can be polarizing, it’s hard to relate to McKellen’s comments. We can’t deny that people love the Royals. Caine’s stance is refreshing and positive: he’s not about to “chuck” away the Royal Family anytime soon, and he’s certain many others feel the same.