Wikipedia

Villa Guardamangia

Villa Guardamangia (Italian – 'look' and 'eat'), formerly known as Casa Medina[1][2] and sometimes referred to as Casa Guardamangia,[3] is a 16,791 square feet (1,559.9 m2) townhouse in Gwardamanġa, Pietà, Malta, which served as the residence of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (later Queen Elizabeth II), and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, between 1949 and 1951, while Philip was stationed in Malta as a serving Royal Navy officer.

Villa Guardamangia
49, Guardamangia Hill, Pietà, Malta
Map
Former namesCasa Medina
Alternative namesCasa Guardamangia
General information
StatusIntact
TypeVilla
Architectural styleVernacular and Neoclassical
LocationGwardamanġa, Pietà, Malta
Coordinates35°53′32.1″N 14°29′42.2″E / 35.892250°N 14.495056°E / 35.892250; 14.495056
CompletedMid-18th century
OwnerGovernment of Malta
Technical details
MaterialLimestone

History

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The property belonged to a Catholic priest in around 1814, during the start of the British colonization of Malta. It is believed that the seaside property was built around the mid-18th century. Later in the 20th century it belonged to several prominent Maltese families, which included the Sant Fourniers, Bartolos and Schembris.[4] The building took much of its present form in 1900[5][6][7][8] by Sir Augusto Bartolo[9] and was called Casa Medina.[10][11] It was originally a farmhouse.[12] It consists of 18 rooms in the living quarters, stables for the animals, a large garden area with a walk-path and a war shelter.[13]

Around 1929, the villa was first leased to Louis Mountbatten,[5] who had interest in it because of its proximity to Marsa, which has a horse racing track and a golf course that suited his lavish lifestyle.[5] The villa was in a bad state and divided into apartments,[1] leading the Mountbattens to reside in two rooms at the Hotel Phoenicia in Floriana[1] while the house was being renovated.[14] Mountbatten bought the villa after some time[15] and frequented it while stationed in Malta as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in the 1950s.[5]

When the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh came to Malta at first they lodged at San Anton Palace, hosted by Gerald Strickland and his wife.[16] Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and her then-fiancé, Philip Mountbatten (later Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh), first stayed at Guardamangia in 1946.[17] The couple returned a number of times between then and 1952, while Philip was stationed in Malta as a Royal Navy officer[18] and Elizabeth worked with the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen Families Association (SSAFA) at Auberge de Castile.[19] Mountbatten eventually passed the villa to the royal couple[20][21] and they resided there continuously between 1949 and 1951. It has been suggested that their eldest child, King Charles III, was conceived at the villa.[18] The Queen later described her stay in Malta as one of the best periods of her life, as it was the only time she was able to live "normally".[22]

Queen Elizabeth II visited Villa Guardamangia during her state visit to Malta in 1992 and, in 2007, she and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their 60th anniversary there.[23] The Queen was given a painting of Villa Guardamangia by the Maltese High Commissioner in London, Norman Hamilton, in 2013.[24] When the Queen was in Malta for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015, she asked to see the villa, but was reportedly refused by its owners,[18] the family of Ġużè Schembri,[2] as it was in a poor state of repair and subject of a dispute between its owners and the government.[25] President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca presented the Queen with another painting of the villa's façade.[26]

The building was put up for sale in 2019 with an asking price at €5.9 million.[27][28] Much of the building's contents, including furniture, artwork and antiques, were sold at auction in September 2019.[29] Following a campaign for the building to be restored and opened to the public,[30] it was acquired by the Government of Malta in October 2019 and entrusted to Heritage Malta for extensive restoration works.[31]

Building and gardens

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Front façade with plaque reading "Villa Guardamangia".
 
The Villa is in a dilapidated state.

The villa is found just outside the outskirts[32] and suburb[33] of Valletta in the hamlet of Guardamangia[34] set just at the crest[35] in a quiet residential area[36] in a narrow street.[37] The villa is described as built in the form of a palace complemented with sea views over Marsamxett Harbour.[38] The Queen describes it as a "town house".[10] It is a typical traditional Maltese residence.[9] The building is built with limestone, known as sandstone and described by the Queen as "yellow stone",[10] and designed with spacious interiors.[39] The house has two entrances with one set at street level and another set after going up a flight of stairs under an elaborate front porch.[10] The royal family had taken their own personal belongings from Britain when they lived at the villa[40] allowing them to live in a lavish residence,[41] in a once-elegant home.[33] The royal family had British servants at the villa.[42]

The gardens of the villa are secluded.[43] The Queen has described it simply as the "small garden at Villa Guardamangia".[19] The Queen herself had decorated the gardens and the surroundings according to her tastes and lifestyle,[44] however most garden-related work was done by a gardener.[45] The main outdoor feature in the garden is the long terrace taking from the building of the villa to the other side of the garden. In the middle of the terrace is where a bench stood that is the place where most known published photos of the royal couple and guests were taken.[46] Other photos were taken on the roof terrace of the villa,[5] while some were taken by the press back then at the front of the villa while the couple walked in on the flight of stairs.[47] The garden had a function to entertain and also to cultivate flowers, which Prince Philip enjoyed to have in his cabin and wardroom.[45]

Current

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The building is scheduled as a Grade 2 monument by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and it is in a dilapidated state.[48] The NGO Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar has called for its restoration and the government was then in process to expropriate and restore the villa,[49] accusing its then owners of allowing the villa to deteriorate in order to justify demolishing it so that the site can be sold and redeveloped.[50]

Villa Guardamangia is a potential tourist attraction once restored. In a non-scientific 2015 online poll, 84% of respondents stated that they would visit the villa if it were restored and opened to the public.[51][52] The villa is a common landmark associated with the royal family.[53] The Daily Telegraph has mistakenly portrayed the front façade of Villa Luginsland in Rabat as the back of Villa Guardamangia.[50]

Villa Guardamangia was privately owned by Marika Schembri and her siblings.[25] In June 2019, the Villa was put up for sale for €6 million (£5.3 million).[54] However, it was bought for €5 million.[55] Since October 2019, the villa has belonged to the Government of Malta.[31][56] As of June 2020, Heritage Malta (the national agency for cultural heritage) is conducting extensive restoration works on the villa. The British Royal Family will be invited for the villa's reopening.[57]

On October 9, 2024, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, visited the villa. They are the first royal family to visit since 1951. They made this visit during he 60 years anniversary of Malta's independence.[58]

Images

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  •  
    The street where Villa Guardamangia is located in 2024.
  •  
    Villa Guardamangia in 2024.
  •  
    Sign that reads "Villa Guardamangia".
  •  
    The entrance to the villa.
  •  
    The entrance to the villa seen from the street in 2024.
  •  
    Photograph of the interior of the villa.
  •  
    Photograph showing a detail inside the villa by a staircase.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Connell, Brian (1953). Manifest Destiny: A Study in Five Profiles of the Rise and Influence of the Mountbatten Family. Cassell.
  2. ^ a b Guillaumier, Alfie (1987). Bliet u Rħula Maltin (in Maltese). Valletta: Valletta Publishing & Promotion Co. Ltd. p. 268.
  3. ^ De Marco, Mario (2 May 2015). "Sharing some palatial thoughts". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Watch: Finding the missing pieces of the Queen's residence in Guardamangia". 25 December 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e "The Malta home of TRH's The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at the Villa Guardamangia, Pieta during the 1949 to 1951 period". godfreydykes.info. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Scheduled Property - Gwardamanġa". Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
  7. ^ "Gwardamangia". Grech Claudio (in Maltese). Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  8. ^ Martin, Ivan (26 April 2015). "Queen Elizabeth's Malta home in disrepair and must be restored before the royal visit". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Villa Guardamangia". The Crown Colonist. Vol. 20. 1950. p. 455.
  10. ^ a b c d Hicks (2014), p. 27.
  11. ^ Hatch, Alden (1966). The Mountbattens. W.H. Allen. p. 208.
  12. ^ Christopher, Peter H. (2017). The Spanish Knight's Secret. FriesenPress. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-4602-9709-4.
  13. ^ "Glimpse of a villa's glorious past". 12 August 2020.
  14. ^ Morgan (1991), p. 439.
  15. ^ Borda, Alfred Conti (16 December 2012). "Maltese seaman who survived sinking of Mountbatten's ship". Times of Malta. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  16. ^ Galea, Michael (15 November 2015). "Queen Elizabeth's stays in Malta over the years". Times of Malta. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  17. ^ Dexter, Margaret (13 March 2009). Malta Remembered. iUniverse. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-595-89670-7.
  18. ^ a b c Alexander, Adam (30 April 2015). "Row in Malta over Queen's crumbling former home". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 November 2015.
  19. ^ a b Hicks (2014), p. 171.
  20. ^ Morrow, Ann (1 August 1983). The Queen. W. Morrow. ISBN 978-0-688-02136-8.
  21. ^ Edwards (1990).
  22. ^ Castillo, Ruth (26 November 2015). ""They were proud that she lived here!" – G'Mangia residents on the Queen". TVM. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015.
  23. ^ "'It looks rather sad now': Queen's forlorn response on villa where she once lived". The Malta Independent. 28 November 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  24. ^ "Guardamangia...ghal darba darbtejn!". Net News (in Maltese). 28 November 2015.
  25. ^ a b Rayner, Gordon (25 November 2015). "Queen makes emotional visit to Malta for what may be her last Commonwealth summit". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015.
  26. ^ "Painting of Villa Guardamangia presented to the Queen". Times of Malta. 26 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015.
  27. ^ "Historic potential of Queen's old home". Timesofmalta.com. 22 August 1940. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  28. ^ "Malta palazzo that served as Queen Elizabeth's home on sale for €6 million". MaltaToday.com.mt. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  29. ^ "Contents of Queen's Malta home to be sold at auction". Times of Malta. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  30. ^ "Historic potential of Queen's old home". Times of Malta. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  31. ^ a b "Queen's former Malta home to be restored after being bought by government". Times of Malta. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  32. ^ Campbell, Judith (14 September 1972). Elizabeth and Philip. Barker. p. 61. ISBN 9780213164065.
  33. ^ a b "A legacy of fry-ups and red postboxes". BBC News. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  34. ^ DrGoogelberg (2012). English Princesses. Lulu.com. p. 172. ISBN 978-1-291-07969-2.
  35. ^ "Apartments For Sale". Pieta Apartments. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  36. ^ Rix, Juliet (20 November 2015). "Malta: Explore this distinctly British isle's regal heritage". Daily Express. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  37. ^ Cathcart, Helen (5 February 1982). The Queen Herself. W.H. Allen. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-491-02755-7.
  38. ^ Edwards (1990), p. 214.
  39. ^ Bedell Smith, Sally (14 December 2011). "Love and Majesty". Vanity Fair.
  40. ^ Fisher, Graham (1982). The Queen's Family. W.H. Allen. ISBN 978-0-491-02867-7.
  41. ^ Higham, Charles; Moseley, Roy (March 1993). Elizabeth and Philip: The Untold Story of the Queen of England and her Prince. Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-13757-4.
  42. ^ The Malta Year Book. St. Michael's College Publications. 1968.
  43. ^ Holden, Anthony (1980). Charles, Prince of Wales. Pan. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-330-26167-8.
  44. ^ Morgan (1991), p. 432.
  45. ^ a b Dean, John (1954). H. R. H. Price Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: A Portrait. R. Hale.
  46. ^ Flamini, Roland (4 July 1992). Sovereign: Elizabeth II and the Windsor Dynasty. Random House Publishing Group. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-440-21190-7.
  47. ^ British Monarchy. "Returning to Villa Guardamangia after State Drive [Royal Visit to Malta, 1949]". Flickr. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  48. ^ "Development Planning Act, 1992 (Section 46) – Scheduling of Property" (PDF). Malta Government Gazette. 20 April 2001. p. 4036. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 November 2015.
  49. ^ Martin, Ivan (25 April 2015). "Appeal for Queen Elizabeth's former home to be restored". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015.
  50. ^ a b "Row in Malta over Queen's crumbling former home". The Daily Telegraph. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  51. ^ "Telegraph runs poll asking people if they would visit the Queen's old home in Malta if restored". The Malta Independent. 1 May 2015. Archived from the original on 6 August 2015.
  52. ^ James, Roxanne (20 May 2015). "Restoration Row over Queen's Former Home in Malta". Propertyshowrooms.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015.
  53. ^ Matthews, Jodie (15 November 2011). Islands and Britishness: A Global Perspective. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-4438-3543-5.
  54. ^ "Queen's former Malta home Villa Guardamangia on sale". BBC News. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  55. ^ "UK royal family to be invited for reopening of Queen's former home". 5 June 2020.
  56. ^ "Il-PM ħabbar li l-Gvern xtara l-unika dar li kienet tgħix fiha r-Reġina barra r-Renju Unit – One News". One.com.mt. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  57. ^ "UK royal family to be invited for reopening of Queen's former home". Times of Malta. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  58. ^ Furness, Hannah (9 October 2024). "Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh recreate photos of late Queen and Prince Philip in Malta". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 October 2024.

Bibliography

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