Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh recreate photos of late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Malta

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on day three of their royal tour of Malta.

Prince Edward and Sophie recreated an iconic 1949 photo of the previous duke and duchess of Edinburgh on the balcony of Villa Guardamangia, in Pieta, on Wednesday.

The house on the outskirts of Valletta is where then-Princess Elizabeth and -Prince Philip lived as newlyweds between 1949 and 1951. It was the only place outside the UK Her Majesty ever lived.

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Prince Edward and Sophie were given a tour of the residence, which is being restored by Heritage Malta after falling into disrepair.

There were some black and white photos of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth's time there displayed on easels along a pathway for the duke and duchess to look at.

Towards the end of the tour, the royal couple were given a private moment in the garden as a local priest rang church bells in honour of the royal visit.

After this, the pair posed on the balcony his parents had stood on 75 years earlier.

Prince Edward had on a double-breasted coat jacket, similar to that his father wore in the photo, while Sophie wore a flared skirt like Princess Elizabeth had on in the black and white image.

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Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth moved to Villa Guardamangia two years after they married in 1947, while the then-Duke of Edinburgh was stationed in Malta as a Royal Navy officer.

Then-Prince Charles and Princess Anne were already born and spent their early years in Malta.

Prince Edward, the youngest of the four siblings, was born in 1964 - 13 years after the family returned to the UK.

But it's clear his parents spoke about their years spent there.

While touring the property, Prince Edward and Sophie met Elizabeth Pule, the daughter of Jessie - one of the Queen and Prince Philip's housekeepers who later became one of Her Majesty's ladies-in-waiting while in Malta.

"Your mother was very popular," Prince Edward told Pule, 80, who had an envelope of old photos with her.

"I know that my mother spotted your mother in a crowd when she came on a visit [to Malta], she never forgot her."

Queen Elizabeth made her last trip to Malta in 2015 and said at the time "visiting Malta is always very special for me".

"I remember happy days here with Prince Phillip when we were first married," she said.

Following the Queen's September 2022 death, Villa Guardamangia became the centre of commemorations on the island, with floral tributes laid at the door.

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Prince Edward and Sophie's trip, to celebrate 60 years of independence, marks the first royal visit to Malta since the Duke of Kent visited in November 2018.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh last visited Malta together in November 2012, when they were the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, also made a solo return to Malta in 2018.

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