It was the place where the future queen and her new husband were happiest: a place where they could live free of royal protocol.
The two years that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent living in Malta from 1949 were forever treasured by the couple.
Today, exclusive images have shown the time Meghan Markle spent on the Mediterranean island in 2015, when she visited to explore her ancestry.
But while Meghan spent only three days in Malta, the Queen and Philip built a happy life in what was then British territory, living in a two-story villa that still stands.
It was the place where the future queen and her new husband were happiest: a place where they could live free of royal protocol. The two years that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent living in Malta from 1949 were forever treasured by the couple. In the photo: In Malta in 1949
Elizabeth and Philip dancing at La Valette in Malta during a ball organized by the Royal Navy
Today, exclusive images have shown the time Meghan Markle spent on the Mediterranean island in 2015, when she visited to explore her ancestry.
They had fun parties, picnics, and boating expeditions, and Elizabeth could even go to the hairdresser alone.
The Queen later spoke of how her stay in Malta was one of the best periods of her life because it was the only time she was able to live “normally”.
She would return six times during her reign, including in 2007, when she and Philip celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
The couple moved to the island to allow Philip to pursue his career in the Royal Navy.
He initially served as a first lieutenant on the destroyer HMS Checkers, before being given control of the frigate HMS Magpie in 1950.
That year, the couple returned to the UK so Elizabeth could give birth to Princess Anne in August, but they returned at Christmas.
Princess Elizabeth smiles as she watches anti-aircraft gunners at work in Malta in 1950.
The then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip are photographed at Villa Guardamangia, outside Valletta, in 1950.
It was while in Malta that Philip sparked global speculation that Princess Elizabeth was expecting her second child.
While posing for a photo with Elizabeth at Villa Guardamangia, Philip made a two-finger sign. Anne was born five months later.
Elizabeth and Philip also enjoyed going to the movies while in Malta, and the princess watched her husband play polo.
Their precious days of freedom came to an end in July 1951, when they returned to their home at Clarence House amid the failing health of George VI.
The princess was needed to help take responsibility for royal engagements and tours.
During her last visit to the country in 2015, the Queen said: “Visiting Malta is always very special to me. I remember the happy days here with Prince Philip when we were first married.
During the trip, the then Maltese president, Marie Louise Coleiro, presented the queen and the duke with a watercolor of Villa Guardamangia.
Villa Guardamangia is in the process of being restored to its former splendor after being purchased by Heritage Malta, the country’s national conservation agency.
The Queen and Prince Philip are photographed at Villa Guardamangia in 1950. The couple lived in the house between 1949 and 1951. This photo sparked worldwide speculation that the Queen was pregnant with their second child. Philip is seen making a two-finger sign.
While in Malta, Philip was first lieutenant on the destroyer HMS Checkers, while Princess Elizabeth was a happy naval wife and mother, first to Charles in 1948 and then to Anne in August 1950.
A man walks past the entrance to the Queen and Philip’s former home, Villa Guardamangia, on the outskirts of Valletta, Malta, July 2020.
For many years after the royal couple’s departure, the property was occupied by a woman who lived alone and used some of the ground floor rooms.
It fell into disrepair, but repeated attempts by the government to buy it from its owners were rejected until 2020.
It was eventually acquired by Heritage Malta for around €5m (£4m).
Photographs taken in 2021 showed the sorry state it was in.
Statues that had once stood in the garden were crammed into one room, servants’ quarters were abandoned, bathrooms were destroyed and the traditional Maltese patterned tiling, which the Queen is said to have found cold, had faded.
The ultimate goal is to open the property to the public, with the ground floor exploring the relationships between Malta and the royal family through the ages.
On the first floor, a ‘historic house approach’ will be used, with a reconstruction of what it was like in the 1950s, when the royal couple lived there.
