London: Prince Charles has been invited to appear on the BBC's Doctor Who programme - and his office has not ruled out his taking part.

Initially Clarence House turned down the approach, a move which prompted the show's executive producer Russell T. Davies to label the Prince - in the style of Charles' beloved Goons - a "miserable swine".

But a Clarence House spokeswoman said on Sunday that the Prince himself had not actually seen the request.

"We did receive a request from Doctor Who's producers," she said.