She would go on to become the most photographed person in the world, but between 1941 and 1951, a 23-year-old Princess Elizabeth was an officer’s wife, staying in Malta with Prince Phillip as he pursued his Navy career. The late Duke of Edinburgh was initially stationed on the island as First Lieutenant on HMS Chequers, before taking the helm of HMS Magpie.
Built in the traditional Maltese style, the limestone Villa Guardamangia, tucked into the suburbs of Valletta, was passed on to the royal couple by Phillip’s uncle, Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Lord Mountbatten had reportedly leased Guardamangia because of its proximity to a golf course and a horse racing track in nearby Marsa. According to the Times of Malta, on Princess Elizabeth’s first trip to the island, she flew out to celebrate her second wedding anniversary with Prince Phillip in 1949. Months later, the Princess returned and celebrated her 24th birthday on the island. She first stayed with the Maltese governor, Sir Gerald Creasy, and his wife, Lady Creasy, at the presidential residence – the grand San Anton Palace. Soon, though, Princess Elizabeth returned to her beloved Villa Guardamangia.
