Mamo and Mintoff

This obituary, published in The Daily Telegraph, describes Sir Anthony Mamo as a lawyer who became 'a symbol of the island's independence'. Mamo, the first president of Malta died on May 1 aged 99:

..Mamo's relations with Mintoff were not always cordial. As governor-general in 1974 Mamo complained of being repeatedly snubbed by the prime minister. When Mintoff banned Mamo's official car from dropping him at his office inside the palace in Valetta, Mamo was obliged to walk to and from his vehicle parked in the street outside. Furthermore, Mintoff kept Mamo in the dark about government policies, and insisted that the governor-general call on him rather than the other way round. In this capacity Mamo accompanied all ministerial delegations during discussions and negotiations with the British government leading up to the island's independence in 1964.

Ten years later, Mamo and Mintoff gave a head-of-state welcome to Archbishop Makarios on his arrival from Cyprus, of which he had been deposed as president in a coup. Mamo accompanied the haggard-looking Makarios from the airport to the governor-general's palace in a small car; shortly thereafter another car arrived with shirts, trousers, underwear and socks for the Archbishop, who had fled Cyprus with only the clothes he stood up in.

As governor-general and president, Mamo was regarded as being above the political fray and a nonpartisan head of state. As a result Maltese of all political persuasions regarded him as a symbol of the island's national unity...From 1956 Mamo accompanied Mintoff on several visits to London that culminated in Malta's independence in 1964.

Back in Malta, Mamo and his wife endured a ceaseless stream of visitors at the governor's palace in Valetta, including members of foreign delegations or officials sent by the prime minister in order to save his government the expense of putting them up at first-class hotels. Mamo was nominated as president by Mintoff in 1974. He was appointed OBE in 1955 and knighted five years later...