It was the place where the future queen and her new husband were happiest; a place where they could live without royal protocols.
The two years that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived in Malta from 1949 were cherished by the couple forever.
Today, exclusive photos show Meghan Markle’s own time on the Mediterranean island in 2015, when she visited to explore her ancestors.
But while Meghan spent just three days in Malta, the Queen and Philip built a happy life on what was then British territory, in a two-storey villa that still stands today.
It was the place where the future queen and her new husband were happiest; a place where they could live without royal protocols. The two years that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived in Malta from 1949 were cherished by the couple forever. In the photo: in Malta in 1949
Elizabeth and Philip dance at La Valette in Malta during a ball organized by the Royal Navy
Today, exclusive photos show Meghan Markle’s own time on the Mediterranean island in 2015 – when she visited to explore her ancestors
They organized fun parties, picnics and boat expeditions and Elizabeth was even able to go to the hairdresser on her own.
The Queen later said that their time in Malta was one of the best times of her life because it was the only time she could 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 so Philip could continue his career in the Royal Navy.
He initially served as a first lieutenant on the destroyer HMS Checkers, before taking control of the frigate HMS Magpie in 1950.
That year the couple returned to Britain so that Elizabeth could give birth to Princess Anne in August, but by Christmas they were back.
Princess Elizabeth beams as she sees anti-aircraft guns at work in Malta in 1950
The then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip are pictured at Villa Guardamangia on the outskirts of Valletta in 1950
While in Malta, Philip sparked worldwide speculation that Princess Elizabeth was expecting her second child.
While posing for a photo with Elizabeth at Villa Guardamangia, Philip gave a two-finger gesture. Anne was born five months later.
Elizabeth and Philip also enjoyed going to the cinema while in Malta, and the princess watched her husband play polo.
Their cherished days of freedom came to an end in July 1951, when they returned to Clarence House, amid the failing health of George VI.
The princess was needed to help shoulder the responsibility for engagements and royal tours.
During her last visit to the country in 2015, the Queen said: ‘A visit to Malta is always very special for me. I remember the happy days here with Prince Philip when we were first married.’
The then Maltese President Marie Louise Coleiro presented the Queen and the Duke with a watercolor of Villa Guardamangia during the trip.
Villa Guardamangia is currently being restored to its former glory after being purchased by Heritage Malta, the country’s national conservation organisation.
The Queen and Prince Philip are pictured 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 her second child. Philip is seen giving a two-finger signal
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 in Malta, July 2020
After the royal couple left, the building was occupied for years by a woman who lived alone and used some rooms on the ground floor.
It fell into disrepair, but repeated government attempts to buy it from its owners were rebuffed until 2020.
It was eventually acquired by Heritage Malta for approximately €5 million (£4 million).
Photos taken in 2021 showed the dire state it was in.
Statues that once stood in the garden were piled up in one room, the servants’ quarters were abandoned, bathrooms were destroyed and the traditional Maltese patterned floor tiles – which the Queen would have found cold – were faded.
The ultimate goal is to open the property to the public, with the ground floor exploring the relations between Malta and the royal family over the centuries.
A ‘historic housing approach’ is applied to the first floor, with a reconstruction of what it looked like in the 1950s when the royal couple lived there.