"Whatever the case, I am sure he'll be happy Down Under because of the Aussies' fondness for rangas."
On a more serious note, Prince Charles said his younger son may, like him, have been struck by the deep spiritual relationship that indigenous Australians have with the land "which is part of their being in every sense".
The British Museum exhibition, which opened last week and runs until August, is the first major show in the UK to present a history of indigenous Australia through objects.
The artifacts on display include a shield believed to have been collected at Botany Bay in 1770 by Captain Cook or one of his men.
Prince Charles said the exhibition explored the "immense impact" of European settlement, and dealt with difficult and painful episodes in Australian history, including dispossession, social dislocation and the stolen generations.
"(But) my great hope is that exhibitions of this kind can help build a bridge to enable indigenous and non-indigenous people to communicate with, and understand, one another more effectively," he said.
"If it can also inspire us to regain that sense of reverence for the natural environment, which is so much a part of the innate wisdom of all indigenous communities around the world, then perhaps it will have helped us all to learn to be better custodians of the planet."
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- AAP
