The BBC has apologized to Queen Elizabeth for reporting that she had once inquired of the government why radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri hadn't been arrested in the U.K.

The corporation's security correspondent, Frank Gardner, had given BBC Radio 4 listeners details of a private conversation he had had with the Queen, the BBC reported on its website today. The broadcaster said both it and Gardner "deeply regret" the breach of confidence.

On Monday, Abu Hamza al-Masri lost a court appeal to be extradited to the United States to face terrorism charges, including allegedly trying to set up an al-Qaeda training camp in rural Oregon, officials said Monday.

Abu Hamza al-Masri, left, has lost his latest court appeal in his fight against extradition to the U.S. (Associated Press)

In a statement, the BBC said: "This morning on the Today programme, our correspondent Frank Gardner revealed details of a private conversation which took place some years ago with the Queen.

"The conversation should have remained private and the BBC and Frank deeply regret this breach of confidence. It was wholly inappropriate. Frank is extremely sorry for the embarrassment caused and has apologised to the Palace."

Gardner was appointed to the Order of the British Empire in 2005, the BBC's website said.

A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace was quoted as saying it would "never comment on private conversations involving any member of the Royal Family."

Extradition approved

The Telegraph newspaper reported on its website that former home secretaries it contacted about the issue all said it would be inappropriate to discuss any private conversations they had had with the Queen. The paper also reported that a BBC spokesman said the apology wasn' the result of any complaint from Buckingham Palace.

The European Court of Human Rights gave its final approval for al-Masri 's extradition Monday, ending a long-running legal battle. The decision means that al-Masri, considered one of Britain's most notorious extremists, could be deported within weeks.

Al-Masri and four other terrorism suspects in Britain had argued that in the U.S., they could face prison conditions and jail terms that would expose them to "torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" in breach of the European human rights code.

In April, the Strasbourg, France-based human rights court rejected those claims. Al-Masri and the others lodged an appeal to that ruling, but on Monday the court said the appeal had failed.

With files from The Associated Press