Several stars have hit out at the monarchy for giving JK Rowling an audience with the Queen. The Harry Potter writer posed for a picture with Queen Camilla last week, as she was signed up to mark the beginning of Royal Week in Edinburgh and help promote reading amongst children.
But a string of celebrities – including The Traitors winner Stephen Libby, actor Charlie Condou, and Oscar-nominated director Lee Knight – have expressed frustration and disappointment with the monarchy for giving Rowling a platform due to her "reprehensible" treatment of the trans community.
Speaking at the Attitude Pride Awards at the Chancery Rosewood hotel in London last week, Libby said: "I think it is such a shame that trans people, [who] make up a minute faction of the population, are being weaponised in a way that they would never ask for themselves. It's so devastating. It seems to me that it is minorities [who] are pounced upon the most.
"There are much bigger issues at play in our country; I really wished we focused on them than one percent of our population [who] are just trying to live their lives peacefully."
The TV star continued: "JK Rowling has said things in the past that I deem reprehensible. Do I think she should be on a big platform like this? No. I think by giving people these platforms when they have been so rude to a minority makes it seem as though what they've done is fine. I don't think you should be giving these people a platform."
Libby added: "I don't really know what the royal family stand for. It is sad that you see someone like JK Rowling being uplifted in society when all they've done is push minorities down.
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"I don't think trans women are the biggest threat to women. I think men are the biggest threat to women, and yet, they seem to get off scot-free every time. Why are we wasting so much energy and breath on trans women when men are the biggest threat to women? I don't understand."
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Libby went on to speak about the late Princess Diana and her work as an activist, saying it brought a tear to his eye to see a video of her shaking hands with a HIV patient.
He added: "I do worry and think that we are going back to a place where people are scared to speak out for our community or speak out when they see wrongdoing. I don't think [Diana] would have done that."
His sentiments were echoed during the awards ceremony red carpet by Charlie Condou – who has starred on Coronation Street, Doctor Who, and more recently Channel 4's Tip Toe.
He said: "When you consider that JK Rowling has more followers on X than there are trans people in the world, you can't really see her attacks as anything other than a massive kick down.
"I feel like JK Rowling has almost got to a point where she can't stop attacking them, and it feels so unnecessary."
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Asked about how Princess Diana would have acted in such a situation, Condou stated: "It's hard to know what Diana would have done, but... she was an extremely forward-thinking and tolerant woman, and she did so much for our community. I would like to think that she would approach the trans community with those same morals and values.
"I can't speak on why they do what they do; I've never met the Queen. but those are my views on JK Rowling," the actor added. "Whatever the Queen thinks, that's up to her."
Director and actor Lee Knight, who received an Oscar nomination for his short film A Friend of Dorothy, backed Libby's comments about Diana, saying that she "wouldn't have done something like that" by posing with Rowling.
When asked if he thought Princes William and Harry would follow the example set by their mother, Knight said: "I definitely think Harry [would]", noting that he "doesn't know much about William".
"From what I think, Harry and Meghan represent being so in touch with the people and modern society," he explained. "They definitely wouldn't have posed for a picture."
Knight concluded by saying: "Society should be doing everything we can to keep people safe, and I don't think [the royals] are doing enough. I think people are rightly angry. A photo says enough, I think."
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