Official Independence Day celebration were held this morning, with Pontifical Mass at St John's Co-Cathedral followed by the laying of flowers at the Independence Monument by President George Abela and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.

The ceremony included a parade by the Armed Forces of Malta and the firing of a salute.

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat laid flowers on the monument later in the morning.

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.