Addressing President George Abela at a garden party on June 21 to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, British High Commissioner Rob Luke paid tribute to the “unsung individuals” who contribute to the strength of the relationship between the UK and Malta.

These included a group of Surrey police officers who use their annual leave to come to Malta each year to honour three members of a previous generation of colleagues who died during World War II; a team of experts from the UK’s Courtauld Institute of Art involved in Din l-Art Ħelwa’s restoration of Our Lady of Victory church in Valletta; and British academics presenting at this year’s NSTF science expo, bringing chemistry to life for hundreds of Maltese schoolchildren. The High Commissioner said these were just a few of “thousands of interconnections” contributing to a “wider interlinking of our two peoples”.

The High Commissioner noted that, following on from the events to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the pace of Her Majesty’s programme remained high in 2013, including the recent service to mark the 60th anniversary of her coronation.

In addition to the President, guests at the party included Foreign Minister George Vella, Speaker of the House of Representatives Anġlu Farrugia and other senior business, government and political figures.

Brass brand The Big Band Brothers played a set inspired by British bands and musicians and mezzo soprano Clare Ghigo sang the British and Maltese national anthems. The event’s five main sponsors were Arriva, Corinthia Group, Ernst and Young, HSBC and Vodafone.

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