Flag of Greece Byzantine double-headed eagle (see below), the cross, depictions of saints and various mottoes. The Christian Greek sipahi cavalry employed by the Ottoman Sultan were allowed to use their own, clearly Christian flag, when within Epirus and the Peloponnese. It featured the classic blue cross on a white field with the picture of St. George slaying the dragon, and was used from 1431 until 1639, when this privilege was greatly limited by the Sultan. Similar flags were used by other local leaders. The closest to a Greek "national" flag during Ottoman rule was the so-called "Graeco-Ottoman flag" (Γραικοθωμανική παντιέρα), a civil
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