Queen overheard calling Chinese officials 'very rude'

The Queen's remarks were caught on tape on Tuesday when she was discussing Chinese officials’treatment of Britain's ambassador to China with a senior police officer at a Buckingham Palace garden party on Wednesday when she was caught on camera calling the Chinese officials “ very rude”.

The invitation to President Xi was part of the government's policy of courting Chinese investment, which Buckingham Palace said was an "extremely successful" state visit.

An official went on to tell the Queen that Commander D'Orsi had been "seriously, seriously undermined by the Chinese, but she managed to hold her own and remain in command".

The Queen asked: "They were very rude to the ambassador, weren't they?"

Commander D'Orsi replied: "They were", and described a "very rude and very undiplomatic" incident when Chinese officials walked out of a meeting, which the Queen said was "extraordinary".

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson later said: "We do not comment on the Queen's private conversations.

The incident came after David Cameron was overheard earlier in the day commenting that Nigeria and Afghanistan were "fantastically corrupt".