Malta has just commemorated the granting of the George Cross, which 75 years ago seems to have resolved a pending headache for the government.
On October 4, Prince Charles led the anniversary ceremony for the award, granted for acts of “the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger”.
The presentation ceremony was held in September, 1942, and the following year, a certain Gresham Carr wrote to Governor Viscount Gort, proposing that the George Cross should be superimposed on the Arms of Malta.
He also submitted a coloured illustration of his proposal.
This is when the Secretary to the Government commented that the matter of the Coat of Arms of Malta was fraught with difficulties, according to research by deputy police commissioner Mario Spiteri.
In his Doctor of Laws thesis, Dr Spiteri notes that in 1940, the Colonial Secretary sent a letter from the Garter King of Arms stating that Malta had no authority for the Arms. An application had to be made for a Royal Warrant that could confirm or otherwise the use of the Arms of Malta.
But before such a grant could be made, Earl Waldegrave – whose family coat of arms was identical to that of Malta – had to be approached for his consent.
According to Dr Spiteri’s research, although it was an undisputed fact that the Arms of Malta had been granted by Count Roger, this was not based on any documentary evidence.
No evidence that Arms of Malta had been granted by Count Roger
But during a sitting of the Executive Council in April of 1943, Lieutenant-Governor Sir David Campbell informed the members of Carr’s proposal. He also suggested that the government should take this opportunity to regularise the Arms of Malta by requesting the King to grant a Royal Warrant.
If the George Cross were superimposed on the Arms, there would be no question of having to consult Earl Waldegrave on the matter, the Governor noted soon after.
Viscount Gort submitted two designs – Carr’s and a similar, but “more appropriate”, design with the George Cross in silver.
However, Garter of the College of Arms Sir Gerald Wollaston noted that the two designs were unsatisfactory, as both violated the rule against placing metal on metal. He suggested placing the George Cross in a canton instead of in the chief of the Arms.
So a new design was submitted, but it was up to the Malta government to choose.
By the end of 1943, by means of a Royal Warrant, the King had confirmed and ratified the inclusion of the representation of the George Cross in the Arms of Malta.
