A photo colourised and shared by Stef Mizzi, originally shared in black and white on a Facebook group by Lino Maniscalco, takes one back to the 2nd of June in 1953, when the main entrance to Valletta was decorated in honour of the coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Crowds of people can be seen entering the capital city under the arches of the old city gate, decked in imposing regal decorations that read 'Dieu et mon droit', which means 'God and my right' and is the motto of the monarch of the United Kingdom.

In a collection shared by King’s College London, and assembled by staff of the Colonial Office Library, there are photographs that show floats and street party celebrations in Valletta, with crowds gathering in honour of Britain’s new Queen.

As reported in an article by Times of Malta, the coronation celebrations were initially boycotted by Prime Minister George Borg Olivier, as Malta had been designated a crown colony rather than a self-governing territory. However, after an apology from London, the festivities proceeded as depicted in this iconic photo.

Do you know anyone who remembers this historic moment?