King Charles and his family have always had a connection with the Mediterranean island, with his mother the late Queen Elizabeth II having made Malta her home between 1949 and 1951 while she was still a princess.

Yet, King Charles’s first visit was in 1954 following a royal tour. Photos from that trip show the young prince in Marsa watching a Polo match and going on a seaside picnic.

Prince Charles and Princess Anne with Earl and Lady Mountbatten during a Maltese holiday in April 1954. Photo: Facebook

The Queen, Edwina Mountbatten, Prince Charles and Princess Anne in Marsa to watch the Polo, 1954. Photo: Facebook

The prince would go on to visit Malta periodically throughout his life, with pictures showing him on a speedboat during a holiday in 1969. In another, King Charles can be seen walking down Valletta’s iconic Republic Street with his sister, Princess Anne.

Princess Anne and Prince Charles holding hands in Malta, 1954. Photo: Facebook

The Queen, Edwina Mountbatten, Prince Charles and Princess Anne in Marsa to watch the Polo, 1954. Photo: Facebook

Prince Charles and Prince Philip after landing in London after returning from Malta, 1951. Photo: Facebook

Prince Charles strolling down Valletta's Republic Street with Princess Anne in the 1960s

Prince Charles on a speedboat while on holiday in Malta, 1969. Photo: Facebook

Charles was also in Malta for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2015, visiting with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who previously lived on the island when their eldest son was still a young child.

During their visit, King Charles visited the Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa and a climate change discussion at the Golden Sands Hotel while the Queen Consort visited primary school children and war veterans.

The King’s most recent visit was in 2017, when he marked the 75th anniversary of Malta being awarded the George Cross.

King Charles speaks to the Muscat family at the Prime Minister's office, 2017. Photo: DOI/Omar Camilleri

King Charles walking across Castille Square with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, 2017. Photo: DOI/Jason Borg

King Charles meeting then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat during his 2017 visit. Photo: DOI

Prince Charles in Malta as a young boy

Prince Charles in Malta in the 1960s

That two-day visit included a meeting with then-prime minister Joseph Muscat and a visit to St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral as it was being restored.

Charles supported those restoration efforts through a “generous” but undisclosed donation.

In an address, he said the George Cross remained a symbol of what the Maltese people endured and their strength and fortitude.