Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, their son Charles, Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is visiting Malta next weekend on the occasion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta. In the concluding part of this feature, Michael Galea looks back at the Queen’s visits to the island from 1992 to date.

On May 28, 1992, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, sailed into Grand Harbour on board the Royal Yacht Britannia, a quarter of a century since their first State visit to the island since independence, and now their first to the republic of Malta. In 1967 the Queen was Malta’s head of State, represented by a Governor-General; now the head of State was the President, the island having attained the status of a republic in 1974.

According to a Buckingham Palace spokesman, the reason for the Queen’s visit was that Her Majesty was “delighted to be back” in Malta because of her close personal and official association with the country; he pointed out that Malta is the only country outside Britain where the Queen has lived; the spokesman said it was particularly appropriate that the visit was being made to Malta in 1992, which was also the 50th anniversary of the award of the George Cross and the 40th anniversary of her reign.

A flotilla of sea craft, ranging from sleek cabin cruisers to tug boats, launches and fishing boats greeted Britannia.

The Queen addressing the 2005 CHOGM opening conference.The Queen addressing the 2005 CHOGM opening conference.

Thousands of Maltese lined the bastions – decorated with large Maltese flags – to welcome their former sovereign whom they had last seen in Malta 25 years earlier. As she sailed into Grand Harbour Her Majesty stood on the quarter-deck with the Duke of Edinburgh.

At the Palace there was an exchange of gifts and decorations. President Vincent Tabone, who was accompanied by Mrs Tabone, presented the Queen with a bas relief in silver of Verdala Castle.

On her part, the Queen, knowing Dr Tabone’s love for clocks, presented him with a 19th century clock engraved with ER and PP Cyphers, and Mrs Tabone with a Baccarat vase engraved EIIR.

In the Council Chamber, the President delivered an address and conferred honorary membership of the National Order of Merit on the Queen and presented her with the insignia of a Companion of Honour, in recognition and to show appreciation for her “outstanding and meritorious contribution in promoting and fostering international dialogue and, in particular, the expansion of friendly relations between the peoples of Malta and the United Kingdom”.

Queen Elizabeth delivered an address and reciprocated by conferring honorary membership of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath on the President and presented him with the Insignia of a Knight Grand Cross. The citation read: “To honour a distinguished servant of the Maltese people, I appoint His Excellency President Tabone, an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath to bear witness to a humanity and statesmanship which will long be remembered in our two countries.”

Walking across the upper courtyard of the Palace, Her Majesty emerged onto Queen’s Square (now Republic Square), where she gazed on the Valletta landmark of the statue of Queen Victoria, her and the Duke of Edinburgh’s great-great-grandmother.

Official functions included a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph, Floriana, a visit to St Vincent de Paul residence for the elderly, Marsa, a concert at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta, a tour of St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina and of St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral in Valletta.

But the climax of the royal visit was the short, poignant dedication ceremony of the Siege Bell Memorial in Valletta. Standing in an exposed position high on Valletta’s ramparts, Queen Elizabeth and President Tabone dedicated the memorial to the memory of those who fought and died so that Malta could triumph against all odds in World War II.

Among the crowd was a large party brought over by the Malta George Cross Island Association, which inspired the erection of the memorial.

This monument is a magnificent and lasting symbol of the spirit which my father recognised. I am proud to walk in his footsteps- Queen Elizabeth at the inauguration of The Seige Bell Memorial in 1992

From the memorial’s prominent site, commanding the entrance to Grand Harbour, one could see Fort St Elmo, where Dr Tabone recalled from bitter first-hand personal experience, the first enemy bombs that fell on Malta in 1941, and from where Maltese gunners denied Italian e-boats access to Grand Harbour.

Dr Tabone said: “I bow my head to the brave and the gallant, many of whom have taken part in actions which will be recorded in military history.

The Queen delivering a speech during a banquet for delegates of the 2005 CHOGM in Malta. Dr Gonzi is seen seated at her left.The Queen delivering a speech during a banquet for delegates of the 2005 CHOGM in Malta. Dr Gonzi is seen seated at her left.

“We must not forget that this is a memorial for the dead, many of whom were our friends, whom we dearly loved.

“Beyond the gates of life, however, there is no enmity, no victor and no vanquished, all rest together and all today, friend and foe, deserve our homage.

“This moment should not remain a mere memorial of the past, but should be a constant warning against the horrors of aggressive wars and solidarity between them experienced in time of peril, in the difficult but worthwhile task of avoiding war of constructing peace.”

In her address the Queen said: “In 1942, your former Chief Justice, Professor Cremona, wrote the following lines: ‘From her orgies of noise and violence scattered about the ordered bones, as steel attacked the substance of all softer things and caused the island and the earth to reel’.

“This impressive monument which we inaugurated today commemorates thousands of men, woman and children, of Malta and other lands, beyond the sea, who died in the defence of these islands 50 years ago. For their gallantry in that struggle, my father, King George VI, awarded the George Cross to the island fortress of Malta ‘to honour her brave people’ and ‘to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history’.

Commonwealth heads of government with the Queen at the 2005 CHOGM. Photo: Matthew MirabelliCommonwealth heads of government with the Queen at the 2005 CHOGM. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

“Two years earlier, about the time when the war correspondent, Alexander Clifford, conceived the imaginative idea of an award to the island, the King had written:

‘I have already heard of the gallant and the fine bearing of the Maltese people since they have been brought within the battle zone, and I have no doubt that they will be worthy of uploading their great tradition in this struggle in which they are now actively engaged.’

“He was right. They were worthy. Their heroism and devotion will long be famous in history. We must continue to bear witness to that.

“This monument is a magnificent and lasting symbol of the spirit which my father recognised. I am proud to walk in his footsteps and to share with you, Mr President, the honour of dedicating the Siege Bell Memorial on the George Cross Island.”

The Queen and the President then jointly press the button, and the 12-tonne bell started to toll for the first time amid applause.

The statue of Queen Victoria in Republic Square, Valletta. She was Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh’s great-great-grandmother.The statue of Queen Victoria in Republic Square, Valletta. She was Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh’s great-great-grandmother.

The Queen ended her visit with a brief one-hour stop in Gozo on May 30, when she visited the cathedral in the citadel, and afterwards to Independence Square (it-Tokk), where Her Majesty walked along the square and stopped for a few seconds in front of the war memorial she herself had unveiled in 1954.

The Royal Yacht Britannia sailed off, escorted to the 12-mile limit by two patrol craft of the Armed Forces of Malta.

On November 23, 2005, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived on a State visit ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

The royal couple was welcomed by President Eddie Fenech Adami. The arrival ceremony was carried out at St George’s Square, Valletta, rather than the airport, so that more people would be part of it.

The official programme included a wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial in Floriana in the presence of veterans and Services organisations.

Some 25,000 schoolchildren gave the Queen an effusive welcome as she was ushered into the Cottonera Sports Complex, where Children’s Day was being celebrated. The Queen planted a tree at San Anton Palace in Attard, the official residence of the President. She later attended a reception on board HMS Illustrious.

The climax of the visit culminated in the opening of the Commonwealth Conference, which was being held in Malta. The Queen, as head of the Commonwealth, officially opened the CHOGM.

In her inaugural speech she said: “Individually we are different and distinct, collectively, we can be strong and effective. Determined and collective action can also help us tackle other challenges that cannot be addressed alone, such as the scourge of terrorism, which is a threat to us all. Everyone and every member country can find some way to contribute to this more important of global pursuits.”

Determined and collective action can also help us tackle challenges that cannot be addressed alone, such as the scourge of terrorism- Queen Elizabeth at the opening of the 2005 CHOGM in Malta

As the host, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was the first to deliver one of four short speeches after a serene rendition of Malta’s national anthem. But his message was no less pungent: “Underdevelopment appears unrelenting. Poverty resists eradication. Differences in life expectancy remain too wise to be just. Too many people are forced by various pressures to migrate from their homelands. In such a context, it might seem that new communication technologies will serve not to emancipate and connect people, but to divide, more radically than ever, the poor from the better off.

The Siege Bell Memorial in Valletta, inaugurated by the Queen in 1992, standing high on Valletta’s ramparts. It is dedicated to the memory of those who fought and died during World War II.The Siege Bell Memorial in Valletta, inaugurated by the Queen in 1992, standing high on Valletta’s ramparts. It is dedicated to the memory of those who fought and died during World War II.

“The Commonwealth has an irreplaceable contribution to make. Its diverse membership and the shared values implied by a common language make it an ideal hub for thinking about and managing global relationship by networking, in all its forms.”

The Malta conference was attended by 53 Commonwealth heads of government or their representatives, and was said to have been the largest gathering of Commonwealth States ever. The heads of government gave a strong declaration on trade issues, agriculture and poverty.

On November 26, after thanking the island for a “wonderful welcome”, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, flew back to London at the end of her fourth State visit to Malta since her accession to the throne in 1952.

Almost exactly two years later the Queen’s fifth visit to Malta took place; it was one of the shortest: a one-night stay. It coincided with her diamond wedding anniversary – the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married on November 20, 1947, and they lived in Malta for a short period after they got married.

The Queen, then 81, and Prince Philip, 86, arrived in Malta at 5pm on November 20, 2007, in a 12-hour stopover visit en route to Uganda, where she was paying a State visit to inaugurate that year’s CHOGM.

At an event held at the Upper Barrakka Gardens the royal couple met 30 couples who were also celebrating their 60th year of married life.

The participating couples who were selected to meet the royal couple had answered an advert in the media. They were greeted by the Prime Minister and Mrs Gonzi.

After meeting the couples, Queen Elizabeth planted a tree, whose plaque refers to her diamond wedding anniversary. On the morrow, November 21, the Queen and Prince Philip left the island.

Thanks to the British High Commission and the Department of Information for providing the photographs.

(Concluded)

St Paul’s journey to Rome

With reference to the article on St Paul’s journey to Rome by Bernard Vassallo published last Sunday, the town of Caesarea Philippi in Roman north Palestine was located at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, not at Lake Galilee. It is now a small town known as Baniyas.

Matthew Montebello was only incidentally involved in the study of the Isis-Sarapi(s) embossed lead anchor, discovered by chance by Mark Gatt and a person called Antoine at a depth of 36 metres beyond Għallis Point around 2004. The former discoveries of five anchors by British divers occurred at a depth of around 30 metres, not 10 metres.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.