Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1283588
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 AUGUST 2020 7 HERITAGE Inside the Malta villa Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip made their home THE public will now be able to tour Villa Guardamangia digi- tally in 3D, Heritage Malta an- nounced. The Heritaga Malta initia- tive, which is in collaboration with Dhalia Real Estate Servic- es, allows the public to take a 360-degree virtual tour, which serves as an important visual memory of the past, as well as documentation of the villa in its present state. While Villa Guardamangia is closed to the public physically due to restoration works, the tour provides the general pub- lic with the opportunity to tour the property. Villa Guardamangia was pur- chased by the government of Malta on 5 June 2020 and en- trusted to Heritage Malta. The villa is a classic example of a mid-18th century Baroque summer palace. Located at no 49, Guardamangia Hill, Pie- tà, the villa was scheduled at Grade Two by the Planning Authority due to its architec- tural, cultural and historical value. The villa previously served as the residence of Princess Eliza- beth II from 1949 to 1951 when her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was sta- tioned in Malta as an officer of the Royal Navy – captain of HMS Magpie which was moored at Senglea. It has often been referred to by the Queen as "home", and is the only property outside of Great Britain in which the roy- al family has resided. The villa has an area of around 1,500 square metres and includes 18 rooms, sta- bles, a large garden, wells, a war-shelter and other facilities. Currently, Villa Guardaman- gia is closed to the public due to restoration works. However, Heritage Malta members have been invited to participate in exclusively curated tours of the premises before the works commence. To access the virtual tour visit Heritage Malta's website https://heritagemalta.org/vil- la-guardamangia/ The villa previously served as the residence of Princess Elizabeth II from 1949 to 1951 when her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was stationed in Malta as an officer of the Royal Navy Villa Guardamangia was purchased by the government of Malta on 5 June 2020 and entrusted to Heritage Malta