Works to restore Queen Elizabeth’s former residence Villa Guardamangia are underway!
The residence has been neglected for a number of years.
Villa Guardamangia is set to receive some much-needed TLC soon! Works are underway to restore Queen Elizabeth II’s former Malta residence, which is in dire need of a make over. Heritage Malta is in contact with the British Royal Family about a project to restore and refurbish the Queen’s beloved former home into a museum, and not a moment too soon!
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip spent the first years of their marriage on the island between 1949 and 1951, while the Duke was stationed in Malta as a navy officer. According to the Queen herself, the time she spent living in this villa was the happiest in her life. It was a beautiful villa with gorgeous grounds and interiors, fit for a queen - literally!
Today, Villa Guardamangia, which stands near St Luke’s Hospital, is locked, shuttered and in a very neglected state. Over the last four years, Heritage Malta have been collecting information about the villa and are in talks with the Royal Family for possible support of the project.
Apart from restoration of the residence, the property will be given a new lease of life as a museum for colonial history, which would see Villa Guardamangia transformed into a historic house that will replicate its appearance during the 1950s, shedding light on the Queen's time on our rock. Hey, maybe she'll return one last time!