Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrive in Malta to mark 60 years of independence

Members of the public in Malta cheered as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrived to meet the island country’s prime minister and his wife in the capital.

A small crowd gathered outside the Auberge de Castille, the prime minister’s office situated on Valletta’s highest point, in anticipation of the royal arrival.

The duke and prime minister Robert Abela posed for a photograph inside the building, with Sophie and the leader’s wife Lydia belatedly joining and apologising for being too busy chatting.

Earlier on Monday afternoon, the duke and duchess met the president of the Republic of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono, and her husband, Anthony Spiteri Debono, at the Grandmaster’s Palace.

Edward shook hands with Ms Spiteri Debono and said: “Your excellency, thank you.

“It’s lovely to be here.”

The four of them posed for photographs, with the duke eventually restarting conversation, joking “they’ll just keep taking pictures”.

Edward and Sophie were then taken on a tour of the palace before they headed to the Auberge de Castille.

On Monday evening, the duke and duchess attended a reception at the residence of the British high commissioner – with drinks and canapes in the garden.

Welcoming the pair, high commissioner Cathy Ward said it was an “honour” to host them, and dedicated the event “to peace” in a short address to those gathered.

She said: “I won’t speak for long but thought it would be remiss not to remark that this event tonight falls on October 7, a year since the October 7 attacks, a year which has since seen thousands die and millions displaced in the Middle East, not to mention elsewhere. A year where we still have war in Europe.

“The Commonwealth Charter reminds us that the Commonwealth is a voluntary association of states consulting and co-operating in the promotion of peace, so given the date on which our reception falls, I wanted to dedicate the event this evening to peace.”

The royal couple are visiting Malta to mark the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence.

They arrived on Monday and will spend four days on the island, undertaking a packed schedule of engagements.

One of the highlights of the visit will be a trip on Wednesday to Villa Guardamangia – the former residence of the late Queen and her husband Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, when they were a young married couple.

The couple lived there between 1949 and 1951 while the prince was stationed in Malta as a serving Royal Navy officer, and they returned to the villa to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in 2007.

On Tuesday, the duke and duchess will embark on a historical tour of the Grand Harbour’s key Second World War sites and meet veterans.

After their visit to Villa Guardamangia on Wednesday, where they will hear about restoration work taking place, Edward and Sophie will view artefacts linked to UK-Malta relations, including a letter from the late Queen inaugurating the island’s first parliament.

The duchess will go on to take part in a panel discussion with the Malta Police Force about how to improve its approach to supporting victims of gender-based violence and human trafficking.

She will also lay a posy in memory of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed by a car bomb in 2017 while investigating suspected corruption in high-level political and business circles in the Mediterranean nation.

The duke and duchess will also attend the King’s Birthday Reception, hosted by the British high commissioner, and meet young people from across the country.