Flag of Greece movements such as the "Etaireia", the First Greek National Assembly, convening in January 1822, took steps to disassociate itself from the "Etaireia"s legacy and portray nascent Greece as a "conventional", ordered nation-state. As such not only were the regional councils abolished in favour of a central administration, but it was decided to abolish all revolutionary flags and adopt a universal national flag. The reasons why the particular arrangement (white cross on blue) was selected, instead of the more popular blue cross on a white field, remain unknown. On 15 March 1822, the Provisional Government, by Decree Nr. 540, laid down
Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands protection of the United Kingdom. In 1864, pursuant to the Treaty of London the United Kingdom ceded the United States of the Ionian Islands to the Kingdom of Greece as a gesture of goodwill following Prince Alfred declining to accept the Greek throne despite Greek popular request. Upon the annexation of the Ionian Islands, the flag of the United States ceased to have official status and was replaced by the flag of Greece. Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands The Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands was used between 1815 and 1864. The flag