The row over the Prince of Wales's alleged comparison of Vladimir Putinwith Adolf Hitler deepened when the Russian president responded with his own withering assessment of the heir to the throne.
Asked about the prince's alleged remarks, Putin said they were unacceptable and wrong and "not what monarchs do".
The fallout from the comments, supposedly made during a private conversation during a royal tour of Canada, now look likely to cast a shadow over an event next month in Normandy to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which both Prince Charles and Putin are due to attend.
At a press conference in St Petersburg, Putin said of the incident: "It reminds me of a good proverb: 'You are angry. That means you are wrong'."
The prince is understood to have made his comments to museum volunteer Marianne Ferguson, 78, after she told him her Jewish family fled the Nazi occupation of Danzig during the second world war. Drawing a parallel with Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in March, he reportedly said: "Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler."
In his response, Putin said: "Give my words to Prince Charles. He has been to our country more than once, if he made such a comparison, it is unacceptable and I am sure he understands that as a man of manners." He added: "I met him personally, as well as other members of the royal family. This is not what monarchs do.
"But over the past few years we have seen so much, nothing surprises me any longer."
The prince's remarks have sparked anger in Russia, whose contribution to the defeat of Nazism cost the lives of an estimated 26 million Russians, including members of Putin's family.
"During the second world war, we were allies and we were fighting together against Nazism," the president said, discussing the D-Day commemoration. "As you know very well, the peoples of the Soviet Union and the people of Russia sacrificed a lot to win the war and achieve our joint victory over Nazism.
"That is why it is quite natural that we are going to have a meeting in Normandy and we are going to pay tribute to our coalition partners, to the British, the Americans and the French."
The meeting between the prince and Putin in Normandy is expected to take place at Sword Beach, where British troops stormed ashore to attack Nazi positions. World leaders including Barack Obama and François Hollande will attend alongside 2,000 Allied veterans. The Queen is also due to be present.
Putin said he would not allow the disapproval of prominent figures such as the prince to influence his actions in Ukraine. "I will be guided not by what they say about me anywhere," he said.
"I will only be guided by the interests of the Russian people, and I hope our colleagues in Great Britain will keep that in mind and will always remember that when finding solutions to any issues, we are always guided by international law and its norms."
Britain has led international calls for sanctions against Russia after its actions in Crimea. David Cameron has warned the UK may face "a very different long-term relationship with Russia" if Moscow does not de-escalate the crisis.
