The Palace Ceremonial Guard was re-established by the Armed Forces of Malta this morning after an absence of nine months.

The guards will be mounted daily between 9.30am and 4.30pm with a change of guards every hour.

This morning's ceremony included a display by the Armed Forces of Malta Band and a detachment of the New Guard.

The ceremony is a mock-up of the formal procedure that dates back to the rule of the Order of St John, when the Grand Master’s personal guards were stationed in the buildings surrounding what was then known as Piazza De La Guardia.

During the British Empire, the square became a parade ground that also housed a garrison to guard the British governor - known as the Main Guard.