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A glimpse of World War II Malta! Photo shows Queen Victoria’s statue untouched in Valletta
The statue still remains there to this very day.

Emma Galea

A photo uploaded by Simons Cusens shows Valletta like many alive today have never seen it before.

The photo shows Republic Square in Valletta but instead of being home to picturesque cafeterias like it is today, the square was pretty much in ruins.

This means that the photo was taken some time in either 1941 or 1942 after an air raid from the axis during World War II that directly hit Valletta.

However, what is so impressively remarkable about this photo is the statue of Queen Victoria somehow escaped all the bombs and was barely touched let alone destroyed.

Sculpted by, Giuseppe Valenti, the statue was placed in the square in Valletta in 1891 and depicts Queen Victoria wearing a Maltese lace shawl.

The statue itself still remains a hot topic in Malta to this very day. 

The Queen Victoria statue sure has a rich history!

22nd March 2026


Emma Galea
Written by
Emma Galea
Emma is a Gozitan writer who loves all things related to English literature and history. When not busy studying or writing you will either find her immersed in a fictional book or at the cinema trying to watch as many films as she possibly can!

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