Queen Elizabeth admitted today that the Maltese villa where she stayed with Prince Philip as a young couple ‘looks rather sad now’ after falling into disrepair, the Daily Mail reports.

The royal couple are visiting the island on a state visit with the Prince of Wales and Camilla for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

And they received a reminder of their happy times in Malta when presented with a painting of Villa Guardamangia, which is located near Valletta.

After an official welcome at San Anton Palace, Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca showed them the watercolour by local artist Edwin Galea.

The picture shows the villa in its former glory, with a horse and cart outside. ‘Oh look,’ said the Queen. ‘Guardamangia, that's very nice to have.’

But the couple both commented on how the villa had since suffered from neglect. ‘It looks rather sad now,’ the Queen said.

The royal couple lived at Villa Guardamangia as newlyweds for two years from 1949 to 1951 when the Queen was still a princess.

The monarch was said to have enjoyed a relatively ordinary life on the island - and also celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary there in 2007.

But earlier this year a row was said to have broken out between a conservationist, the building’s owners and the Maltese government over its repair.