Queen Elizabeth II is "looking forward" to visiting Malta again in November, according to a Royal Family spokesperson.

Speaking to journalists at a meeting held in Buckingham Palace last week, Sally Osman, Director of Royal Communications, said the Queen had a deeply emotional connection to the Maltese Islands.

She recalled how the Queen and Prince Philip lived in Malta in their early married life between 1949 and 1951, before her accession to the throne. "I understand that Villa Guardamangia, where they lived, is not in such a good condition nowadays," Ms Osman said.

Elizabeth visited Malta again, this time as Queen, in 1954, then in 1967, 1992, in 2005 for the CHOGM and again in 2007.

This year's CHOGM will also coincide with two important anniversaries: the Queen will turn 90 years old in April and she will become Britain's longest-serving Monarch in February, surpassing Queen Victoria.

Ms Osman explained that the visit will give Malta great exposure and this includes not only the traditional media coverage but also the social media. The monarchy has 2.1 million followers on Facebook and 1.1 million on Twitter.

A spokesperson for Prince Charles, speaking to journalists during a visit to Clarence House, also said the royal visit is expected to bring with it many foreign correspondents to Malta, especially from the UK.  

The spokesperson also announced that, apart from the Prince's CHOGM commitments, which will be given priority, Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, are also expected to have a separate programme in Malta. "The programme will probably include some of the royal couple's charitable interests. Prince Charles is also expected to give a number of speeches.

Through the years the Prince developed a wide range of interests which are today reflected in the Prince's Charities, a group of not-for-profit organisations of which he is Patron or President. The group is the largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in the UK, raising over £1 million annually. The organisations are active across a broad range of areas, including education and young people, environmental sustainability, the built environment, responsible business and enterprise.

The Prince is Patron or President of some 400 organisations while the Duchess of Cornwall is patron or president in around 75 organisations. The Prince personally founded 14 charities. The Prince's Trust, which he set up at the age of 26, has helped 650,000 young people.