Source: iStock | Ansa
Beautiful beaches lapped by a crystal clear sea, magnificent cities of art and breathtaking views: Malta is a masterpiece waiting to be discovered, a place to which the Prince Philip he was particularly attached. He and his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, spent a lot of time there – especially in the early years of their marriage.
Prince Philip has a strong bond with Malta, which has its roots in an era in which he was not yet born. His mother, the Princess Alice of Battenburg, lived part of his childhood on the island: Philip's grandfather, Louis of Battenberg, was stationed here as a naval officer. And thanks to his military service, the Duke of Edinburgh has strengthened his liaison with this territory. In 1938 it is in fact joined the Royal Navy and eleven years later he was stationed, in the role of second in command, aboard the destroyer HMS Checkers which was based in Malta.
At the time, Philip had just married Elizabeth: the two got married in 1947, and in the first years of their marriage they spent a lot of time among the islands of the Mediterranean. A few weeks after the role had been assigned to the Prince, his wife joined him in Malta and there together they stayed at the house of Lord Mountbatten, the splendid Villa Guardamangia. The residence, today also known as Casa Medina, is located in the town of Pietà, a short distance from Valletta.
Built at the beginning of the 900s, the villa hosted Queen Elizabeth II and her husband shortly after the Second World War. Unfortunately, it has been heavily damaged over the years, and is still in a poor state of conservation. However, the couple returned there in 1992, on the occasion of their 60th anniversary. The Maltese government has been evaluating it for some time the opportunity to make it a tourist attraction, in the meantime spending great efforts to renovate it and try to bring it back to its former glory.
Malta soon became one of the places of the heart of Filippo and Elisabetta, who spent happy days there for two years. Both took part in many dancing evenings which took place in the rooms of that beautiful palace which has now become the Phoenicia Hotel, a stone's throw from Valletta. The distant memories of their carefree life, when Elizabeth was not yet Queen, remained alive in the memory of both of them, who took advantage of every opportunity to return to those splendid places.
In addition to the villa where they stayed, Prince Philip and his wife never failed to visit some of the most fascinating pearls of Malta, such as the evocative St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, a baroque masterpiece which houses two enchanting works by Caravaggio. But Filippo also landed on the island alone several times: for example when, in 1968, he inaugurated the first children's playground. Malta has always remained in his heart, and there are many traces that he himself left in these lands of great beauty.
Source: Wikimedia | Ph. Continentaleurope
