The royal couple looking over Valetta from the roof of the Villa Guardamangia , Malta
(Picture: PA)“Malta was always very special to me. I remember happy days here with Prince Philip when we were first married,” said the Queen in 2015.
Lady Pamela, who was one of the Queen’s bridesmaids, has also spoken of the love the late monarch had for the island.
“The Princess really loved Malta because she was able to lead a normal life, wander through the town and do some shopping,” she told MailOnline.
“It was the only place that she was able to live the life of a naval officer’s wife, just like all the other wives. It was wonderful for her and it’s why they have such a nostalgia for Malta.”
With 300 days of sunshine per year, and beautifully breathtaking landscapes that have served as locations for major film and TV productions such as Game of Thrones, Popeye, and Gladiator, it’s no surprise that the Queen was so fond of Malta.
The Queen’s love affair with Malta
The Queen and Prince Philip were married in November 1947 and spent their early years of marriage in Malta between 1949 and 1951. They lived at Villa Guardamangia, owned by Philip’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten.
The Duke was stationed there as a naval officer and was appointed second-in-command of HMS Chequers, operating from Malta with the Mediterranean fleet.
The property offered the newlyweds more than just a Mediterranean base, as Malta gave them their only taste of real life and a place where they could be their normal selves. In fact, Malta is the only place outside the UK that Queen Elizabeth has ever called home.
Hicks said: “They were magical days of endless picnics, sunbathing, and water skiing. It was wonderful for her and it’s why they have such nostalgia for Malta.”
The Queen liked to divide her time between England – where she could spend time with her son, Charles, and his grandparents – and Malta.
Elizabeth’s magical and carefree time in Malta allowed her to handle cash for the first time, drive through the narrow streets, and dance with Prince Philip in the ballroom of Hotel Meridien Phoenicia.
The Queen would also host tea parties and visit the local salon while Philip was on board Chequers.
In 1951, King George’s health deteriorated rapidly, and the couple had to make a return to normal life, moving back to the UK. Prince Philip left the Royal Navy on “indefinite leave” in July 1951, ending his military career to stand by Elizabeth.
Following King George’s death on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh returned to Malta several more times. In 2007, the couple celebrated their diamond anniversary in Malta and, most recently, in 2015, they were there for the Commonwealth summit in Valletta. During the trip, former Maltese president Marie Louise Coleiro gifted the couple a watercolour of Villa Guardamangia.
Now Villa Guardamangia, just outside Valetta, is set to be transformed into a museum, after falling into disrepair in recent years.
The planned restoration project is being managed by the Maltese government, which acquired the 18-bedroom property last summer, three years after its last residence. An elderly woman who could no longer handle its upkeep previously lived there. It will see the former royal residence transformed into a museum for all to visit, exploring Britain’s link to Malta (which gained independence in 1964), and will recreate what the house looked like when The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lived there.
