Chinese censors have blocked BBC television reports of the Queen's comments about the republic's "very rude" officials.

The monarch was recorded making the remarks to a Metropolitan Police commander at a Buckingham Palace garden party during a discussion about the difficulties of organising the state visit in October by President Xi Jinping.

It is understood it is not uncommon for state censors to block stories on the channel by replacing pictures with a black screen.

The BBC World News channel is not widely available in mainland China.

Robin Brant, a BBC correspondent in the country, tweeted: "Chinese censors are blocking @BBCWorld reports about HMTQ comments that Xi Jinping officials were 'very rude' during last year state visit.

"No reporting in China yet and that may remain case as anything that undermines 'golden era' agenda doesn't suit Beijing."

One expert said the blacking out of television reports was not used regularly.

Michel Hockx, director of the SOAS China Institute, said: "This is typically the kind of story that China's censorship apparatus would want to suppress, just because it might cast a bad light on Xi Jinping."

Professor Hockx said he could only recall one occasion, several minutes into an interview with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, that censors blacked out BBC coverage.

"I've been going to China for 30 years and that was the only time I've seen it in front of my eyes.

"Obviously someone is watching, there's a delayed response," he said.

"It's blunt instrument they don't use very often."

He added there had been discussion of the Queen's comments on Chinese social media, where views were mixed.

"I think on the whole people are a bit ticked off about it," he added.