Proof that Harry did have help?

They were the paintings seen around the world - Prince Harry's A-level artwork from Eton.

Harry's sacked art teacher has accused her former boss Ian Burke of helping to paint the abstract pieces, which borrow from Australian aboriginal art and feature prominent lizard motifs.

Sarah Forsyth told an employment tribunal: "Mr Burke's approach was occasionally to do the painting for the boys while he talked with them about betting or football.

"Some of the boys knew he would paint their pictures for them and would therefore encourage him to talk about his pet subjects to keep him painting." The accusations have been denied by Eton, Mr Burke and Clarence House.

To try to discover the truth, the Evening Standard decided to make its own enquiries. We asked two art experts - Robin Simon, editor of the British Art Journal, and David Lee, editor of Jackdaw, a monthly art magazine - to compare Harry's paintings with those of Mr Burke, who recently had an exhibition at the Zillah Bell Gallery in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

Mr Lee claimed the prince's A-level paintings could only have been done with the help of Mr Burke.

He said: "I suppose I could be wrong but I would be very surprised ... It is very unlikely he [Mr Burke] did not have something to do with the painting."

He pointed to a number of clues such as the structure of the paintings echoing that of Mr Burke's pieces. "The way he [Harry] has put the rectangles and squares together echoes Ian Burke's work very strongly," said Mr Lee.

He said the techniques also had much in common. "If you look at the way he applies the paint from side to side, it is very similar," he said. "He [Mr Burke] has certainly helped in the organisation and some of the execution."

Mr Simon concluded that while Harry was clearly influenced by his art teacher, this was common and did not mean the prince had cheated.

"There is a very strong use of lines but there is nothing surprising about that," said Mr Simon.

He said the prince came from a family of talented artists - not least Prince Charles and Prince Philip - and his inherited skills were more than capable of producing the aboriginal-style paintings.

Both critics agreed that Mr Burke is a very good artist. "Technically, Burke is outstanding. You don't get much better than that," said Mr Simon.

Mr Lee added: "He is obviously a very good teacher to get Harry to do something which is so sophisticated and mature."

Mr Burke, 50, is only the 13th person to hold the post of Drawing Master, the grand title bestowed upon the head of art at Eton. His exhibition in Thirsk, which appears to have been a success, featured 56 paintings of scenes from around Whitby.