Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie have kickstarted the third day of their royal tour to Malta with a very special visit.
The royal couple has paid a visit to Villa Guardamangia, where, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
The pair stayed at the stunning property from 1949-1951, while Philip was stationed in Malta as a naval officer.
It is the only house outside of the UK that the late Queen ever called home.
Sophie, wearing a gorgeous white poppy dress and her trusty espadrilles, and Edward received a tour of the villa in Pieta, accompanied by representatives from Heritage Malta to hear more about the restoration work being undertaken at the property.
The senior royals, who celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary earlier this year, recreated pictures of the late Queen and her husband, which were taken more than 70 years ago in the Maltese villa they lived in when they were the Edinburghs.
The late Queen and Prince Philip headed to Malta not long after they married in November 1947, and Elizabeth has spoken fondly about their time there.
Edward and Sophie met Elizabeth Pule whose mother, Jessie, was a housekeeper when the late Queen and Philip lived in the villa on the outskirts of the capital Valletta.
Edward told her: “I know that my mother spotted your mother in a crowd when she came on a visit. She never forgot her.”
The pair were taken on a tour of the house during which they walked through an exhibition of photos of the late Queen and Philip set up in the garden.
Edward and Sophie waved at two people who were stood on the balcony of a different property overlooking the garden.
They had a Union flag and Malta flag draped over their balcony and remained there for the majority of the visit.
The duke and duchess were left alone at the top end of the garden, near a derelict fountain, to have a private moment, chatting among themselves and taking in their surroundings.
In 2015, when Queen Elizabeth visited the country, she said: “Visiting Malta is always very special for me. I remember happy days here with Prince Philip when we were first married.”
The villa was put up for sale in 2019 and purchased by the Government of Malta with the intent of restoring the historic home.
Later on Wednesday, Edward and Sophie will visit to the National Library where they will view artefacts that document Malta’s changing relationship with the UK, including a letter signed by the late Queen inaugurating the first parliament in 1964.
They will also attend an ecumenical service at the Anglican Pro-Cathedral, an institution Prince Philip was patron.
Sophie will then conduct a solo engagement where she will lay a posy in memory of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia – as part of her commitment to drawing attention to the issue of violence against women and girls around the world.
She’ll also attend a discussion with members of Malta’s Police Force and Human Rights Directorate about supporting victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence.
