( CNN ) -- British royal watchers are in a tizzy over comments reportedly made by Prince Charles comparing Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler . According to the Daily Mail newspaper , a woman claims Charles made the offhand comment during a tour Monday of the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax , Nova Scotia . He was talking with a 78-year Polish woman who escaped the Nazi Holocaust by sailing to Canada in 1939 -- just before Germany seized the city of Gdansk , the newspaper said . `` I had finished showing him the exhibit and talked with him about my own family background and how I came to Canada , '' the newspaper quoted Marienne Ferguson as saying . `` The prince then said , 'And now Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler , ' `` the newspaper quoted her as saying , referring to Russia 's disputed annexation of Crimea . Ferguson said she agreed with Charles . `` I must say that I agree with him and am sure a lot of people do , '' Ferguson said . `` I was very surprised that he made the comment as I know they are n't meant to say these things but it was very heartfelt and honest . '' CNN could not independently confirm the conversation early Wednesday . Representatives for Prince Charles declined to comment . `` However , we would like to stress that the Prince of Wales would not seek to make a public political statement during a private conversation , '' Clarence House said in a statement . In the British system , the queen is head of state , but foreign policy is set by the elected government . As heir to the throne , it would be considered unusual for Charles to make such a statement . So far , there 's been no response from Russia . Britain 's The Guardian newspaper reported a Putin spokesman declined to comment when approached by reporters . On Twitter , British member of Parliament Mike Gapes criticized Charles . `` In constitutional monarchy policy and diplomacy should be conducted by parliament and government , '' he wrote . `` Monarchy should be seen and not heard . '' Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg , however , defended Charles to the BBC -- saying the conversation was clearly private . `` I have never been of this view that if you are a member of the royal family somehow you have to enter into some Trappist vow of silence , '' the BBC quoted him as saying . Some view such comparisons as inflammatory given the tense state of relations in Europe over Russia 's actions in Ukraine . Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton garnered some criticism in March when she made a similar comparison . For others , such comparisons may dredge up the painful history of Western Europe 's unsuccessful efforts to contain Hitler in the 1930s . In 1938 , Hitler annexed Austria over meek European objections , then supervised Germany 's takover of the Sudetenland under the pretext of protecting the Czechoslovakian region 's large ethnic German population . Similar issues were raised before Germany 's 1939 invasion of Poland . The failures of Western European governments to stop the German advances under what was then known as the policy of `` appeasement '' have been endlessly debated by historians considering the impact of Hitler 's early moves on the bloody and brutal years that followed . Russia 's Davos : Where Vladimir Putin has gone from powerhouse to pariah .
Prince Charles reportedly compares Vladimir Putin , Hitler during Canada trip . The remarks were first reported by the Daily Mail newspaper . Office of British monarchy declines to comment . Some are critical , others supportive of Britain 's future king .