voyage might be of benefit to his health but it proved to be quite the contrary. Thus after only a short stay at that colony he returned to Malta and lived for a number of years in Sliema, with one of his daughters. He married Alice Laferla, great-granddaughter of Sir Agostino Portelli, and had six children. He died peacefully at the age of 64 years, just after noon, on 26 May 1934, and was buried in the Portelli Chapel at the Addolorata Cemetery. Legacy All the people of the Maltese Islands soon accepted the "Innu Malti" and it was customary that it be played on all occasions in conjunction with the "God Save the King". Later, when Malta obtained autonomy, the "Innu" was played for the Prime Minister. The 1964 Independence Constitution, Chapter One (The State), Section 4 states that the National Anthem of these islands is to be the "Innu Malti". This was also confirmed by the "Republic" constitution. Thus finally, the music, written with the passion of a patriot, a hymn made into a prayer by a national poet, was crowned with the highest glory. Eventually an Act of Parliament laid down the exact format of the music and how it should be played. All this heralded a new era to the historic Maltese Islands, an era for which the Maltese had been fighting for many centuries. History is built step by step, but surely one of the foundation stones of the future history of Malta is the music of Robert Samut. On 26 May 1968 Dr Giorgio Borġ Olivier, then Prime Minister of Independent Malta, in the presence of the Governor General and Lady Dorman, of His Grace Mgr Michael Gonzi, and many other personalities, unveiled a marble plaque on the façade of the Lion House to commemorate the birthplace of Prof. Samut. A leaflet, designed by the great artist Emvin Cremona was also printed for the occasion. Nearby, on Triq Sarria, the old Wesleyan Methodist Chapel has been refurbished and renamed as the Robert Samut Concert Hall in his honour. References Maltese composers Maltese military doctors 1869 births 1934 deaths National anthem writers People from Floriana Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Maltese pathologists 19th-century Maltese physicians 20th-century Maltese physicians Burials at Addolorata Cemetery, Paola