Prince Philip was not being racist with 'spears' remark, says indigenous Australian performer
An indigenous performer who met Prince Philip during a royal visit to Australia in 2002 has defended him against accusations of racism, saying he was taken out of context.
The Duke of Edinburgh raised eyebrows during the trip to Cairns 16 years ago when he asked an Aboriginal performer: "Do you still throw spears at each other?"
Recalling the encounter, Warren Clements said they were putting on a special performance for the Prince and the Queen as they toured far north Queensland.
"We had royal fever so we said 'Let's go out the back and throw some boomerangs and spears and hopefully we'll get a glimpse of them as they come down'," he told ABC News.
"They waved and we were showing off. I think Prince Philip took that in and that's why he said it.
"He's been taken out of context."
Mr Clements was full of praise for the Prince as he described the meeting.
"When I shook his hand, there was so much energy … you don't build fellas like that these days. He was tough as nails," he said.
"From that moment I had a deep respect for him. People should not judge someone unless they have met them and, most importantly, do research before they start creating media sensationalism."
Prince Philip stood down from royal duties last year but Prince Charles will tour Australia next month with the Duchess of Cornwall.
