Not many know that but Queen Victoria’s very own granddaughter, Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born right here on the island of Malta on the 25th November, 1876.

She was born in the stunning San Anton Palace in Attard while her father was stationed here in Malta with the Royal Navy.

She was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s second son, Prince Albert and the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, the only surviving daughter of the Tsar Alexander II.

Soon after her birth the family left Malta and returned to England after her father’s service was finished but Princess Victoria Melita returned to live in Malta again when she turned nine.

For the next three years she resided in San Anton Palace after her father was appointed commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean naval squadron.

They then moved to Coburg in 1893 as Prince Albert became the reigning Duke.

Under the pressure of her family especially that of Queen Victoria, she married her first cousin, Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse but the marriage failed miserably.

They scandalised the European Courts and Royal families when they decided to divorce in 1901.

She went on to marry the Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia in 1905 and the two had three children together.

Victoria suffered a stroke soon after attending the christening of her fifth grandchild in 1936 and never recovered. She died a few days later on the 1st March, 1936.

Facebook/George Cross Island Association - Malta Branch