Beatles legend Paul McCartney would need to show his ID in Queensland bars, Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said, as he "apologised unreservedly" for the Prince Frederik debacle.
And Mr Stewart admitted his police officers asked staff at the Jade Buddha bar to break the law, but said they would not be prosecuted.
It comes after Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik was able to bypass the ID scanning requirements introduced to make Queensland's night spots safer, after his police security detail arranged for him to enter.
The incident made international headlines when the Jade Buddha bar's co-owner, Phil Hogan, was quoted saying the prince had been turned away because he did not have ID.
Mr Hogan demanded an apology over comments they were "just not right" about what occurred.
Mr Stewart said an apology was due to the Jade Buddha over the incident, but did not specifically apologise for refuting the owner's account of events.
"Our staff have asked them to do something which is a breach of the legislation, there's no doubt about that," Mr Stewart said.
"I am very grateful for the way that the staff and management of Jade Buddha reacted to this visit by an eminent person, by a person of royal lineage from another country who was being protected by the Queensland Police Service and other security agencies."
But the Jade Buddha employees would not be prosecuted for a "technical" breach of the legislation, Mr Stewart said.
"The staff and the management of the Jade Buddha would be able to say that they only acted in good faith on the request of the Queensland police and that would exonerate them," he said.
Mr Stewart then apologised unreservedly to anyone who was at the Jade Buddha if the Prince's presence caused any concern.
"Or if the way that our officers acted created a perception of intimidation and what have you," Mr Stewart said.
Mr Stewart said Jade Buddha had the right to challenge the police who requested entry for the prince but the "intent" of the legislation to make the community safer with ID scanners was not compromised.
Mr Stewart said he hoped "common sense would prevail" so "that people of that status are not put at risk.
"This is not a different law for the rich and poor... This is simply our experienced, competent and very dedicated officers doing their job, that is protecting the prince and also protecting the other patrons and the community at large," he said.
"This is a person from a different country, not used to our requirements, and in the situation where our officers made a decision on operational grounds."
In July, The Gresham was forced to turn away a group of French winemakers because they did not have their passports with them.
Mr Stewart said McCartney would "absolutely" have to show ID as he was not a protected person and would not have dignitary protection.
But questioned again, Mr Stewart said if there was a threat to McCartney, he would be given security, and then if he wanted to go to a "drinking house", police would probably try to facilitate entry without an ID scanner.
McCartney will play Suncorp Stadium on December 9.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said the Prince Frederik furore had made Queensland an embarrassment.
"These stories have now gone around the world, from the BBC to the New York Times, really, this government should be doing better," he said.
"We're now in danger of becoming a laughing stock."
Mr Nicholls said he believed ID scanners, which his party supported, should be maintained for safety, but the way they were used should be reviewed.
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