Meghan Markle’s ancestry takes her back to THIS Commonwealth country - Express
The mother-to-be’s ties with the nation trace back years as it is where her great-great grandmother, Mary Bird was born in Valletta in 1862. A year before meeting her husband Prince Harry, Meghan Markle went on an emotional trip to Malta in 2015 to learn more about her ancestry. Writing on her blog The Tig, which has now been shut down, she said: "When asked to go to Malta to not only discover the beautiful island, but also the land from which my great grandmother hailed, I said yes without hesitation.”
It was in Malta that the then future royal confessed to feeling a special connection with the Commonwealth nation.
She told local food blog Little Rock at the time: “Coming to Malta has been really important to me because my great-great-grandmother lived here, so we’ve been trying to trace the ancestry.
“This trip was mostly about trying to understand where I come from, my identity. There is something so lovely about fitting in a piece of the puzzle.
“To come somewhere where you so quickly settle in to feeling welcomed is really special. It’s this Maltese hospitality that is really special to the place.
“Before I went, people were telling me, "When you go to Malta, everyone will look like you," and I started to say, "Oh my gosh I do sort of blend in," and it’s the loveliest feeling. People have been so kind.”
Meghan, a self-confessed foodie, soaked up the local culture, trying local specialities during her 2015 trip.
She said: “In Gozo I loved the fresh goat’s milk cheeses, particularly the pickled ones with the black pepper on them.
“I’m about to have the spaghetti with rabbit, which I’ve been waiting to try.
“This morning, for breakfast, I tried the pastizzi with peas and ricotta. Oh my goodness they’re delicious. So my suitcase will be filled with all sorts of Maltese treats.”
Prince Harry also shares a special connection with the nation - his grandmother the Queen was officially the Queen of Malta from 1964 to 1974.
The monarch has always had a soft spot for the island after she lived there with Prince Philip when he was stationed there with the Royal Navy.
Lady Pamela Hicks, the daughter of Earl Mounbatten of Burma and one of the Queen’s bridesmaids, previously revealed Malta was the only place a young Queen Elizabeth could lead a "normal life".
She said: “The Queen really loved living in Malta because she was able to lead a normal life, wander through the town and do some shopping.
“It was the only place that she was able to live the life of a naval officer’s wife, just like all the other wives.
“It was wonderful for her and it’s why they have such a nostalgia for Malta.”
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