King George VI made a 20-hour visit to Malta 80 years ago today, no mean feat considering the island was still at war, and the enemy was just 60 miles away in Sicily.

The king had earlier visited British troops in North Africa and then said he wished to visit the island, which he had honoured with the George Cross the previous year, at the height of the conflict.

He arrived at dawn on the Royal Navy cruiser Aurora, and despite a late announcement on cable radio, the bastions were crowded with waving people.

“A wonderful sight. Every bastion and every viewpoint lined with people who cheered as we entered. It was a very moving moment for me,” the king was to write later. 

Greeted by the Governor, Lord Gort at Customs House, the king was driven along the streets - bearing the many scars of the aerial bombing - to the palace, where he greeted a large cheering crowd from the balcony as church bells pealed.

The cheering continued as he was driven up Kingsway (now Republic Street) and on to a visit to the badly damaged dockyard.

King George is shown the ruins of Senglea by its archpriest.

The highlight of his visit, however, was a walkabout in Senglea, where he was able to see the devastation of the harbour town, particularly the ruins of Victory Street. He was shown around by the archpriest Canon Emmanuel Brincat.

The king had dinner with Lord Gort at Verdala Palace, Buskett, before boarding Aurora, which slipped out of Grand Harbour to continue its journey during the night.