CABINET Office Minister Mo Mowlam apologised yesterday for the "hurt" caused by her remarks calling for the Queen to move out of Buckingham Palace.

A contrite Dr Mowlam, MP for Redcar, backed down after the Palace took the rare step of intervening in a row involving a Government minister.

Before Tuesday's statement by the Royal Household, pointing out that the Palace was a working building, not just a family home, she had offered no apology when she was questioned about the controversy in a BBC radio interview.

However, attending the opening of a police conference on drugs yesterday in Blackpool, she said: "I apologise for any hurt I have caused."

She also acknowledged that the affair may have cast a cloud over her political future after Prime Minister Tony Blair and other senior ministers publicly distanced themselves from her remarks.

Asked if she felt it would affect her career, she replied: "I have no idea, that's up to Tony Blair."

Earlier, a Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister had not spoken to Dr Mowlam since the story broke earlier this week.