President George Vella told Queen Elizabeth II that meeting her was something he had “always dreamt about” when he was received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

The Queen went without her gloves as she shook the hand of president Vella and that of his wife, first lady Miriam Vella.

The president described the private audience as an honour.

“It was something I always dreamt about, and at last it’s happened,” the president said. “We had met in the past on some occasions in Malta, but in a crowd, not like this. This is different,” he noted.

The Queen smiled and agreed.

“Something special,” she said.

Private audiences last approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Only the opening remarks and exchange of greetings are made public. 

Queen Elizabeth last visited Malta in 2015 to attend a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. She has a personal connection with the country, having lived here for some years in the first years of her marriage to Prince Philip.

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