Malta was ruled by the Order of Saint John as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Sicily. Sicilian rule ceased when Napoleon invaded Malta in 1798.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "History of Malta under the Order of Saint John," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malta_under_the_Order_of_Saint_John, accessed 4 June 2019.</ref> | Malta was ruled by the Order of Saint John as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Sicily. Sicilian rule ceased when Napoleon invaded Malta in 1798.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "History of Malta under the Order of Saint John," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malta_under_the_Order_of_Saint_John, accessed 4 June 2019.</ref> |