Malta backtracks on demands Prince George return shark tooth

Prince George gets to keep his gift from David Attenborough. Photo / Supplied

Prince George can keep his giant shark tooth fossil.

Malta Culture Minister Jose Herrera backtracked after facing backlash for announcing his intention to reclaim the shark tooth fossil that had been a gift to the 7-year-old prince from British naturalist and TV presenter David Attenborough.

A spokesman for the minister told Times of Malta on Tuesday that "it is not [our] intention to pursue this matter any further".

Asked about the flap, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela said "we should avoid creating unnecessary controversies".

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Critics of the plan included the son of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Matthew, who wrote on Twitter that a "megalodon tooth costs $40 on eBay. Corruption has cost us billions of euros. I ask my government to prioritise and please get a grip on what's important".

The fossil, believed to be around three million years old, belonged to an extinct species of a giant shark that could grow up to 16 metres, three times the size of modern great white sharks.

The 94-year-old naturalist met up with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children for a private screening of his new documentary. Photo / Supplied

Attenborough, 94, presented the fossil to the prince during a private viewing of his new documentary at Kensington Palace. He had found it during a holiday in Malta in the 1960s.

Photos released by the palace over the weekend showed George looking intrigued as he inspected the tooth.

Malta is a former British colony that obtained independence in 1964.