The Phoenicia Malta recently hosted a glittering evening in its Grand Ballroom to mark the 60th anniversary of Malta’s independence.

The event, held on September 20, recreated the original state banquet held at the hotel on the eve of Independence Day in 1964.

In her welcome speech, hotel general manager Robyn Pratt shared the inspiration for the commemorative banquet – a chance discovery of the menu served to guests on that historic occasion. That same four-course menu was meticulously prepared and paired with fine wines under the direction of award-winning executive chef Daniel Debattista, honouring the original banquet down to the finest detail.

President Myriam Spiteri Debono, Mark Shaw, Neville Juan Cardona and Silvan Camilleri looking at the original 1964 menu and guestbook.

On arrival at the black-tie event, guests enjoyed wine, canapés and harp music with The Phoenicia Malta’s ambassador Neville Juan Cardona on the Maryanski Porch, which displayed fine crockery used to mark celebrations at the Grand Master’s Palace in 1964. Guests then took their seats inside the elegantly dressed Grand Ballroom.

The 1964 state banquet had welcomed esteemed guests, including the then-prime minister Giorgio Borg Olivier and the late Queen Elizabeth II, in anticipation of when Malta would raise its own flag and step into statehood.

Six decades on, the guest list also featured honoured attendees including President Myriam Spiteri Debono who, in her speech, highlighted the significance of the event, recalling how the lowering of the colonial flag and the hoisting of the Maltese flag symbolised a new chapter for the nation.

Reflecting on the meaning of independence, the president added: “Independence signifies the Maltese people’s freedom to act in the best interest of themselves as they think fit, and this freedom must be nurtured, cosseted and protected each and every day.”

Original crockery used during the Independence Day celebrations at the Grand Master’s Palace in 1964.

Describing The Phoenicia Malta as a national landmark and a pillar of the local economy and hospitality industry, Spiteri Debono also acknowledged the hotel’s central role in the Independence celebrations of 1964, thanking the management for its contribution to the Malta Community Chest Fund to mark the occasion.

The programme also included addresses from The Phoenicia Malta owner Mark Shaw and Liam Gauci, senior curator at the Malta Maritime Museum.

In her closing remarks, Pratt expressed heartfelt thanks to her staff for their dedication in turning their initial ‘what if?’ into a special night to remember, bringing history back to life in a unique celebration of Malta’s journey over the past six decades.

More information about The Phoenicia Malta is available at www.phoeniciamalta.com.