Mabel Strickland

Who was Mabel Strickland?

The Honourable Mabel Edeline Strickland OBE, was an Anglo-Maltese journalist, newspaper proprietor and politician.

Strickland was the daughter of Sir Gerald Strickland, Prime Minister of Malta, by Lady Edeline Sackville, eldest daughter of Reginald Sackville, 7th Earl De La Warr.

Strickland founded a newspaper group in Malta with her father and her stepmother, Lady Strickland. In 1935 she became editor of The Times of Malta and "Il Berqa" before taking over as Managing Director of the Group on the death of her father in 1940. The paper never missed an issue throughout the Siege of Malta in World War Two, despite taking direct hits on several occasions. She formed and led the Progressive Constitutional Party during the 1950s and was one of the principal political leaders of the 1950s, participating in the integration talks in 1956-57 as well as opposing independence in 1964. She was elected to the Maltese Parliament again in 1962. She always fought passionately for a free and independent press and to maintain Malta's ties with Britain and the Commonwealth.

Mabel Strickland was affectionately known in her time as both "Miss Mabel" and also "The Queen of Malta". She had a huge, formidable personality, and an infectious sense of humour. Described once as "an active volcano"' she was unquestionably a force to be reckoned with. With an impressive range of contacts, she was equally at ease with Royalty or Statesmen as she was with her employees or the woman/man in the street.