Queen back at the helm with a visit to Malta: Historic family trip planned for next November with her three heirs

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The Queen is planning to make a major foreign visit to Malta next year - and bring her three heirs, including toddler Prince George, with her, it can be revealed.

The historic family trip is being mooted for next November when the sovereign, who will be 89, attends the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) for the first time since 2011.

It would be the first time a monarch and her three heirs - in this case Charles, William and George - have travelled abroad together.

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The Queen is planning on bringing her three heirs, Princes Charles, William and George, on a foreign trip to Malta next year as she attends the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting

Concentrating: The Duke of Cambridge proved a whizz at table football when he joined a group of teenagers for a lunchtime match during his visit to Malta - and scored the winning goal

Last year Prince Charles stepped in to represent his mother at the biannual CHOGM gathering in Sri Lanka after the Queen decided to scale back on long-haul travel given her age.

The success of the trip led to expectations that Charles, who is the longest serving heir apparent in British history, would represent the Queen more regularly at such large-scale events.

But aides have apparently convinced the Queen that the three-hour journey by air to Malta is 'just like an internal flight'.

And the monarch herself has something of a soft spot for the Mediterranean Island where she and Prince Philip lived for several months during the early days of their marriage. 

Speaking during a whirlwind trip to the island by Prince William yesterday, Malta's Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat said the Queen was 'very keen' to make it happen.

Dr Muscat said: 'The invite is out for Her Majesty to attend and we are waiting for her to reply.

'I believe Her Majesty will attend, we are awaiting confirmation.'

He also revealed: 'I spoke to her in Glasgow at the opening of the Commonwealth Games and she said she was looking forward to coming over.

'I believe there may be more than one member of the family coming- we'd like to have all the family here.'

His wife Michelle added: 'They are more than welcome. It's a very nice island and very safe.' William also indicated to Malta's president that he would love to bring George and his new brother or sister over.

Prince William enjoyed the trip around Valletta's Grand Harbour on his visit to Malta this weekend

The Duchess of Cambridge, who is eight weeks pregnant, was forced to pull out of her first solo overseas engagement to Malta after suffering from Hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe ante-natal sickness

Malta's President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said: 'Prince Wiliiam said he was looking forward to returning to Malta and I told his royal highness that we look forward to welcoming all his family including baby George.' 

She formally invited the whole Cambridge family at a spectacular fireworks show to celebrate Malta's 50th anniversary of independence from Britain on Saturday.

She said: 'Permit me to take this opportunity to invite and host all the family of Your Royal Highness, including Baby George, in the near future.' 

Pointing to that address, Malta's high commissioner to London, Norman Hamilton, said they hoped the Queen and Prince Philip would come to CHOGM and that the invitation had been made for Prince Charles and the Cambridges to join her. 

'I think her advisers have more or less confirmed to her that it is almost like an internal flight,' he said.

He added: 'They will be well taken care of. It's a special place for her -- she has fond memories of being here. 'And you can see the love and affection for William and the family. It depends if the Royal family wants to extend it.'

Prince William yesterday represented his grandmother at a series of official events on the island after his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, was forced to pull out of what would have been her first solo royal tour due to her continuing severe ante-natal sickness.

As well as attending his first public Mass, William viewed the nation's two spectacular Caravaggio paintings, went on a boat trip around its Grand Harbour - sailing on the same boat his grandmother did when she stayed on the island in 1949 - and played video games with a group of disadvantaged young children.

His last engagement of the afternoon, before flew back on a scheduled flight to London, was a quintessentially English garden party at the home of the British High Commissioner, Villa di Giorgio.

He told ex-pat Peter Robinson, 71, that he had spoken to his wife earlier that morning and she was feeling 'a little better.' 'But we both agreed that the hot weather would have been too much for her,' he said.

Malta voluntarily became part of the British Empire in 1800 but achieved self-rule after the Second World War.

Following a constitutional referendum in 1964, the island became fully independent, retaining the Queen as its Head of State.