Now we are really not amused: BBC forced to apologise for claiming Queen had a tantrum

In a different age, the consequences for such calumny could have been far more serious but, yesterday, BBC executives were simply reduced to issuing a grovelling apology to the Queen, after being caught red-handed in a flagrant case of spin.

The source of their embarrassment and public repentance was a badly-edited trailer that implied the monarch had stormed out of a sitting with the photographer Annie Leibovitz.

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The trailer, shown on Wednesday for the BBC1 documentary series A Year With The Queen, gave the impression Her Majesty had abruptly halted the photoshoot when Leibovitz asked her to remove her crown. Scenes of the pair clashing over the request were followed by footage of the Queen walking down a corridor and telling her lady-in-waiting: "I'm not changing anything. I've had enough dressing like this, thank you very much."

But those images, far from being filmed after the clash, were taken as the Queen made her way to the sitting. The trailer, which had been shown at the launch of BBC1s autumn season, had been edited incorrectly, executives conceded.

"In this trailer there is a sequence that implies the Queen left a sitting prematurely. This was not the case and the actual sequence of events was misrepresented," the broadcaster said yesterday, adding: "The BBC would like to apologise to the Queen and Annie Leibovitz for any upset this may have caused."

Last night the BBC1 controller Peter Fincham said that the mistake was due to "human error". He said it was "regrettable" but " things like this can happen". He added that it was unfortunate that it involved the Queen.

Yesterday both Buckingham Palace and the Queen maintained a dignified silence on the matter.

A Year With The Queen was filmed as the monarch prepared for her 80th birthday, and captured the working life of the Royal Family. In the scenes, the monarch is seen posing for a photoshoot with Leibovitz, who is renowned for making unusual requests. She once had Kate Winslet repeatedly dunked in a tank of water, and Clint Eastwood was tied up with ropes. However, the Queen, clad in her Order of the Garter robes, looked less than amused when asked to remove her crown.

Leibovitz said: "I think it will look better without the crown because the garter robe is so ..."

But before the photographer could finish saying "extraordinary", the Queen gave her an icy stare and replied: "Less dressy? What do you think this is?", pointing to her formal garments.

The trailer then cut to the Queen apparently storming off with an official lifting the train of her blue cape off the floor.

At the press launch, Mr Fincham said: "Definitely a memorable bit is Leibovitz getting it wrong and the Queen losing it a bit and walking out in a huff. In most of what we see there's a twinkle in her eye."

However, palace officials reacted swiftly to the inaccuracy and the BBC was forced to clarify and apologise, saying the trailer was not meant to be shown.