* Photo credit: News24

Having travelled extensively throughout the world, it’s not surprising that the Queen has a few favourite destinations. These include St Mawes, Cornwall; South Africa; Malta; Kenya; Brazil; Canada, and the Scottish Highlands. (Condé Nast Traveler, March 23, 2022.)

Princess Elizabeth celebrated her 21st birthday during a memorable family holiday in South Africa in 1947. Arriving in Cape Town, the family travelled extensively across the country.

As a young married couple, the Queen and Prince Philip lived on the island of Malta when he was stationed there as a Royal Naval Officer. Their home, an elegant villa in Valletta, was a gift from Philip’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten. It was here in 1949/50, that the Queen enjoyed a spell of ordinary life as a naval officer’s wife.