Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, will have two engagements tailored to meet the public during his brief visit to Malta today and tomorrow.

He arrives this afternoon to represent the Queen at the 50th anniversary celebrations of Malta's Independence. The activities were due to have been attended by the Duchess of Cambridge, but her visit was called off because she is in the early stages of her second pregnancy.

This afternoon at 4.40 pm Prince William will be at St George's Square, Valletta where he will see an In Guardia re-enactment.

Tomorrow at 1.40pm the duke will be attending a Gozitan folklore performance in Vittoriosa Square.

His other engagements will include calls on President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca (San Anton Palace) and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the Auberge de Castille.

He will visit the National Library to see documents related to independence and later attend a reception at the Upper Barrakka where he will watch a show in Grand Harbour marking Independence.

Tomorrow he will attend Pontifical thanksgiving Mass at St John's Co-Cathedral in the morning and cross the harbour to visit Access and discuss its services to youths in Vittoriosa. He will also visit St Lawrence Parish Church.

This will be Prince William's first visit to Malta. His father Prince Charles spent many months here as a child when the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, lived here.