Gwardamanġa


Gwardamanġa, is a hamlet in Tal-Pietà, Malta. Gwardamanġa is the home of St. Luke's Hospital, Malta's former general public hospital, and Villa Guardamangia, the former home of the now Queen Elizabeth II. It is also the location where the Rediffusion House is found.

Overview

At Gwardamanġa one may find the Villa Guardamangia, a large two-storey building, best known for its elaborate porch which is reached by a flight of steps from each side. The first has a convex configuration over which is a wide elliptical arch. Scroll corbels support the lintels of the sides, while a square-headed doorway is set in an elliptical arched recess. On top of the porch are a series of segmentally arched, louvred windows. Other features include semi-circular wrought iron balconies on each side of the porch, louvred windows and a 'remissa' doorway. The façade lacks decoration apart from a balustraded parapet wall.
The Villa was leased by Lord Louis Mountbatten in about 1929. At various times between 1946 and 1953, the then Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, stayed at the villa while her fiancé, and later husband, The Duke of Edinburgh was stationed in Malta as a serving Royal Navy officer. Philip and Elizabeth lived in Malta for a period between 1949 and 1951. It has been suggested that it is here that her son Charles was conceived. The Queen re-visited the villa during her state visit to Malta in 1992.