From the BBC:
“Queen's former Malta home Villa Guardamangia on sale”
The Queen's former Malta home, Villa Guardamangia, has been
put up for sale for nearly €6m (£5.3m). The villa, located on the outskirts of
the capital Valletta, is the only place outside the UK that Queen Elizabeth II
has ever called home. She lived there between 1949 and 1951, in the early years
of her marriage to Prince Philip, who had been stationed in Malta as a naval
officer. The Grade Two listed property has since fallen into disrepair. It is
currently being listed by a luxury real estate agency, which describes it as
"an amazing grand Palazzo style property... with documented great
historical value." The listing says the 1,560 sq m (16,791 sq ft)
property, which was built around 1900, boasts "many authentic
architectural features", high ceilings, stables and "various
guest/servant quarters". "The property is just crying out for a great
conversion and will make a superb residence or possibly a commercial
venue," it adds. The Queen and her husband lived in the villa before her
coronation. It was at the time the rented home of Prince Philip's uncle. She has fond memories of her time on the
Mediterranean island, living as a naval officer's wife. “ Visiting Malta is
always very special for me. I remember happy days here with Prince Phillip when
we were first married," she said during a visit to the country in 2015. Maltese
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat gave the royal couple a framed watercolour of the
property during the visit. But rows have
broken out in Malta over the property in recent years, amid calls to restore
the dilapidated building to its former glory. Some believe the government should acquire and
renovate the villa, while others say private owners should decide what to do.
^ I’ve been to Malta (but haven’t lived there) and so
understand why the Queen really likes it there. It’s sad that her home there –
the only place she has lived outside the UK – is in disrepair. I hope it can be
sold and renovated. ^
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