Prince Charles laughs off jibes

Britain's Prince Charles believes being called a "pommie b*****d" while studying in Australia was good for his character.

The 62-year-old monarch spent time studying in Australia as a youth and was happy to be labelled a pom - an Australian term for a British person.

He said: "I've been through my fair share of being called a 'pommie b*****d' - by God it was good for the character. If you want to develop character, go to Australia."

The prince was discussing his time in the country as part of Australia Day celebrations yesterday (26.01.11) and while at the Australian High Commission in London he paid tribute to those who dealt with recent flooding there.

He said: "The emergency services - we know how incredible they are when these disasters occur. We know also, just how much people in communities are helping each other.

"Sudden adversity produces extraordinary generosity of spirit and people working together in a way perhaps hadn't quite happened before."

A total of 30 people have been killed as a result of the flooding in the country, which has destroyed 30,000 homes.