Pemulwuy was beheaded, his head preserved in a barrel of spirits and returned to Sir Joseph Banks in London in 1805. Pemulwuy's remains were presented as a trophy of victory over Aboriginal Australians to King William IV. The Natural History Museum has resisted all attempts to repatriate the remains, as provided for by the Human Tissue Act (UK) and agreements reached between the Australian and UK Governments. The return of Pemulwuy's remains is critical to the process of reconciliation in Australia and their return is timely as Prince William accedes to the throne as King William V.