D’Orsi was introduced to the queen as “gold commander,” in charge of security and emergency services during Xi’s visit.

“Oh, bad luck,” the queen said.

D’Orsi went on to complain about how the visit had been a "quite a testing time” for her. She recalled how Chinese officials had walked out of a meeting with her and British Ambassador Barbara Woodward, telling them “the trip was off.”

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“They were very rude to the ambassador,” the queen said, also referring to the incident as “extraordinary.”

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D’Orsi added: “It was very rude and very undiplomatic, I thought.”

The footage was reportedly shot by the queen’s official cameraman Peter Wilkinson and released to the media under a pool coverage arrangement.

Britain’s Conservative Government has invested heavily in what it hopes will be a “golden era” in relations with China, but the new relationship is turning into an embarrassment in many people’s eyes.

Xi was granted a faultless British display of pomp and ceremony during his state visit, invited to address parliament and inspect a guard of honor on Horse Guards Parade while also being treated to a state banquet hosted by the queen at Buckingham Palace.

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But the British government has been criticized at home for “kowtowing” to the Chinese and failing to bring up the issue of the Communist Party’s record on human rights. The “golden era” also had a rocky start after a British citizen was among five Hong Kong booksellers allegedly abducted by Chinese security agents.

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Chinese officials are known in diplomatic circles for playing hardball with their demands during preparations for important visits, but this is the first indication that Her Majesty was unhappy with arrangements.

According to the BBC, a Buckingham Palace spokesman later said: "We do not comment on the queen's private conversations. However, the Chinese state visit was extremely successful and all parties worked closely to ensure it proceeded smoothly."

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Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang took a similar line, but declined to say whether the "golden era" was still alive.

“President Xi’s visit to Britain last year was a very successful one," he told a daily news conference. "Both sides have made great efforts for the success of the visit, and the two sides highly recognized that."

But when asked by a reporter from Britain's Guardian newspaper to confirm whether the “golden era" was still ongoing, Lu refused to be drawn.

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“Both sides have expressed the hope that they would implement the outcomes of President Xi’s visit and push forwards a steady and stable rise of the bilateral relationship," he said. "This requires the common efforts of both sides.”

Last week, China's ambassador to Britain accused politicians and media in Britain and the United States of "meddling" in the South China Sea, where China has been building artificial islands on disputed reefs and rocks.

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In China, coverage of the latest controversy has been censored, with BBC World TV blanked out during a report on the conversation, the British broadcaster reported.

During the visit, the queen had called it a “milestone” and said relations were being taken to "ambitious" new heights.

BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt commented: “Blunt talking, in public, is normally the preserve of the queen's husband.”

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In the 80s, Hunt recalled, Prince Philip had warned some British students in China that they'd get "slitty eyes" if they stayed there too long, while Prince Charles described some Chinese officials in a leaked journal as "appalling old waxworks."