Star Wars' Daisy Ridley declares she's 'not a royalist' and labels Buckingham Palace 'an unused building'

The British star is starring in the last film in the current Star Wars trilogy
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Tobi Akingbade3 December 2019
The Weekender

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Daisy Ridley said she is “not a royalist” as she gave an unfiltered take on the monarchy describing Buckingham Palace as an “unused building.”

The Star Wars actress told British GQ magazine: “I’m going to tell you something so shocking for Americans but not Brits: I don’t massively care about the royal family.

“I am not a royalist. Buckingham Palace is great, but it’s an unused building, isn’t it?

“The other day, there was a story that the Queen uses six rooms in the palace. Six. How is that a good thing? It’s prime real estate.”

She stars as Rey in the current Star Wars trilogy (Disney) 

Ridley also shared her feelings on the end of the current Star Wars trilogy, which will draw to a conclusion later this month with The Rise Of Skywalker.

Describing filming her final scene, she said: “The scene was me being very sad.

“Let’s just say it was not hard to be upset in that scene..

“I did this embarrassing speech that I can’t remember. It was so sad.”

Discussing reprising her role as Rey in the future, she said: “It felt like an end… I can’t actually imagine it right now… I don’t know what’ll happen in however many years.”

Her debut in the 2015 film The Force Awakens rocketed her to global stardom, but it brought unwelcome attention with it.

Not a royalist
Getty Images

Ridley has previously spoken about her experience with a stalker and said: “I was followed home by someone in a van, this f****** paparazzi person.”

When told that experience seems preferable to being trailed by a stalker, she replied: “But is it? Is it better? Is it even different? I was still by myself and being followed wherever I went and they now have the number plate of the car I was in…

“That’s where it’s more scary as a woman. I have to be so vigilant with security and keeping myself safe. It’s horrid.”

Director JJ Abrams is at the helm of the final instalment, which completes Disney's latest Star Wars trilogy after 2015's The Force Awakens and 2017's The Last Jedi.

Rey (played by Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega) are all returning to the fold, while Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016 aged 60, will also be in the film.

The movie will feature unused footage of Leia, shot when they were making The Force Awakens, and while there's no CGI, there will be some digital manipulation.

The Rise of Skywalker is slated for release in the UK on Thursday December 19 and will be almost two-and-a-half hours long.

The full feature in the January/February 2020 issue of British GQ, available via digital download and newsstands on December 6

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