It’s been barely a year since Prince William brought out the crowds when he visited Malta as a late stand-in for his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, on the 50th anniversary of Malta’s Independence. The Duchess had been suffering from morning sickness during her second pregnancy and, for a while, there had been a danger no Royal would make it.

It’s a different story this week, with no fewer than four members of the Royal Family coming to Malta together.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were both keen to make the trip, not letting age slow them down. The Queen will be 90 in April while the Duke celebrated his 94th birthday this year.

The Prince of Wales and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, will also attend the Commonwealth Summit in support of the Queen.

This is a State visit, with all the ceremony that it implies. However, Buckingham Palace says it’s also a celebration of, “The Royal Family’s enduring affection for Malta: its people, its history and its future.”

Malta is the only country outside the UK that the Queen and the Duke have ever called home. They arrived in 1949, when the Duke received a naval posting, and stayed on and off until the summer of 1951.

Those were carefree days. The couple were newlywed, the war was over and the then Princess Elizabeth was yet to take on the responsibilities of Monarch. She was able to mix with other naval officers’ wives and explore the island with little hindrance. The Royal couple cut a dash at dinner dances at the Phoenicia Hotel.

The Queen and the Duke have witnessed Malta’s progress over the decades, returning several times, including in 2007 as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

A full programme has been arranged for this week. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess will arrive first on Thursday, November 26 to be followed soon after by the Queen and the Duke, who will be greeted at the airport by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

First stop for the Queen and the Duke will be St George’s Square in Valletta for a ceremonial welcome by the President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, before moving on to San Anton Palace.

The Prince of Wales will be speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum at the Hilton Hotel while his wife pays a visit to Mdina Glass in Ta’ Qali.

On Thursday, November 26, in the evening, the Queen, accompanied by her husband, son and daughter-in-law, will host a reception in honour of the people of Malta in the gardens of San Anton.

Later, the Prince of Wales will join guests at a reception to mark the launch of the Prince’s Trust International.

The first engagement on Friday, November 27 is the spectacular opening ceremony of the 24th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. The event will be covered live on television.

A young Prince Charles stands close to his father Prince Philip on a visit to Malta. Right: Prince Charles, aged four, and his three-year-old sister Princess Anne, stand next to Lord and Lady Mountbatten in Malta almost 62 years ago. Photo: Frank Attard

This will be followed by a drinks reception and lunch for new Heads of Government at San Anton. The Queen will get to know recent additions to the Commonwealth top table including the new Prime Ministers of Canada and Australia, Justin Trudeau and Malcolm Turnbull respectively.

The Duke of Edinburgh is to visit St Paul’s Cathedral for a short thanksgiving service and he will meet former members of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment, the so-called Farmer’s Boys, before travelling to the Casino Maltese for a Duke of Edinburgh International Awards lunch.

The Prince of Wales’s agenda includes visiting the Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa, to view an environmental photo exhibition, and joining the CHOGM leaders for their session on climate change.

The Duchess of Cornwall, as Patron of the Book Trust, will show her support for the Read With Me literacy programme at St Thomas More College Primary School in Żejtun, and will also attend a war graves wreath laying ceremony in Kalkara.

On Friday, November 27, in the evening, everybody will be in their finery as the Royal party host the traditional CHOGM dinner at the Corinthia Palace Hotel in Attard. This is when especially engraved goblets, one for each country, will be raised for the Commonwealth toast.

On Saturday, the Queen and the Duke will visit Heritage Malta in Kalkara, departing by boat across the Grand Harbour for the final engagement of the State visit at Marsa Racecourse. The Prince of Wales and his wife will have a separate short engagement in Mdina before they depart.