UK

Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh to visit Malta to mark 60 years of independence

Edward and Sophie will spend four days on the island, carrying out a packed schedule of engagements.

One of the highlights of Edward and Sophie’s visit to Malta will be a trip to Villa Guardamangia, the former residence of the late Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh
One of the highlights of Edward and Sophie’s visit to Malta will be a trip to Villa Guardamangia, the former residence of the late Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh (John Walton/PA)
By Ellie Ng, PA

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are to visit Malta to mark the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Edward and Sophie will arrive on Monday, spending four days on the island and carrying out a packed schedule of engagements.

One of the highlights of the visit will be a trip on Wednesday to Villa Guardamangia – the former residence of the late Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, when they were a young married couple.

They lived there between 1949 and 1951 while the prince was stationed in Malta as a serving Royal Navy officer, and they returned to the villa to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in 2007.

The then-Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, in the garden of the Villa Guardamangia in 1949
The then-Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, in the garden of the Villa Guardamangia in 1949 (PA/PA)

Edward and Sophie will meet the president of the Republic of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono, at the Grandmaster’s Palace on Monday afternoon.

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They will then head to Auberge de Castille to meet Prime Minister Robert Abela and his wife, Lydia Abela, before attending a reception at the residence of the British High Commissioner.

On Tuesday, the duke and duchess will embark on a historical tour of the Grand Harbour’s key Second World War sites and meet veterans.

They will be invited to lay a wreath and posy of flowers outside the entrance to the harbour in the capital, Valletta.

The Queen and Philip in 2015, receiving a painting of Villa Guardamangia, the house in Malta where they stayed as a young married couple
The Queen and Philip in 2015, receiving a painting of Villa Guardamangia, the house in Malta where they stayed as a young married couple (Alan Davidson/TPL/PA)

On Wednesday, after their visit to Villa Guardamangia to hear about restoration work taking place, Edward and Sophie will view artefacts linked to UK-Malta relations, including a letter from the late Queen inaugurating the island’s first parliament.

The duchess will go on to take part in a panel discussion with the Malta Police Force about how to improve its approach to supporting victims of gender-based violence and human trafficking.

She will also lay a posy in memory of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed by a car bomb in 2017 while investigating suspected corruption among high-level political and business circles in the Mediterranean nation.

The duke and duchess will also attend the King’s Birthday Reception, hosted by the British High Commissioner, and meet young people from across the country.