An Australian mother whose children were snatched by their Malaysian prince father 14 years ago was reunited with her daughter today.

In the latest twist in one of Australia's longest-running custody sagas, Jacqueline Pascarl welcomed daughter Shahirah to her Melbourne home after the 21-year-old decided to travel to Australia to visit her mother.

Pascarl and Malaysian Prince Raja Bahrin married in 1981 and had two children, Shahirah and Iddin, who were born in Malaysia.

But the fairytale soured when Raja took a second wife under Islamic law and Pascarl returned to Australia with the children and obtained a divorce in 1985.

Raja smuggled the children back to Malaysia in 1992 during an access visit and ignored orders from the Australian courts to return them to their mother.

Daughter's wish

He told Melbourne's Herald-Sun newspaper that his daughter's desire to see her mother had succeeded where the courts could not.

"It's only natural that she wants to visit her mother," he said. "She is a big girl now, going to be 21, she wants to be with her mother, so what is there for me to say?"

He said the couple's son, Iddin, now aged 23, had not asked to see his mother.

"Let's take one thing at a time, it's up to the kids so let things take their course."

Pascarl issued a statement expressing her joy at the reunion but pleading for privacy amid intense media interest in Australia.

"They wish you to know that they are very, very happy - joyful in fact," the statement said. "This is, however, a very private time and sensitive indeed for the family."