A leading Australian Aboriginal has branded Prince Harry a cultural thief for stealing aboriginal symbols and images in his paintings.
"This is more than just about copyright. It is cultural theft," said Rodney Dillon, culture commissioner with the peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
Prince Harry showed a series of Aboriginal-style paintings earlier this year following his 18th birthday and has said he is interested in the dot paintings of outback desert Aborigines.
"They (England) has been stealing things from us for years, they stole our land...they stole our remains, now they are stealing this," Dillon told journalists.
"How much more can England take off Aboriginal people?"
Dillon said Prince Harry, who is due to visit Australia in November, should go to the outback and sit down in the dirt and talk to Aborigines about their symbols.
Dillon said Aborigines understood Prince Harry was only young and may not realise the importance of the symbols he paints.
"He is only a young fella. He does need to be cut a bit of rope (given some latitude), but what he needs to understand is that this is very important to Aboriginal people," he said.
PA