Karl Lagerfeld has let rip with a wide-ranging rant, branding Adele “too fat”, Russian men “ugly” and claiming the Royal Family is “unnecessary”.

The German fashion guru made the remarks in an interview with the global newspaper Metro, which he was guest-editing for the day.

Asked about the state of pop music, the outspoken designer said: “The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice”. He was slightly more complimentary about US singer Lana del Rey who he said was “not bad at all”.

Asked about Russia, the man known as King Karl said: “If I was a woman in Russia I would be a lesbian, as the men are very ugly”.

Mr Lagerfeld, who once said of Diana, Princess of Wales, “she was pretty and she was sweet, but she was stupid”, also took aim at the Queen who he described as “a more smiley version” of her grandmother.

He said: “In terms of what she wears, she’s come into herself a little bit more – whatever that is.”