On June 9, 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte appeared on Malta's horizon, ostensibly to ask for water for his fleet, and eventually received from Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch the capitulation of the island. Napoleon brought to an end an era that had endured for 268 years. In spite of the ease with which the French took Malta from the Knights of Saint John, their presence on the island lasted only two years and they spent much of that time behind the massive fortifications till General Vaubois capitulated to the British and to the Maltese on September 5, 1800. The defeat of the French heralded the beginning of Malta's incorporation within the British Empire. On May 30, 1814, Europe's leaders met at Paris to formally sign a treaty. The Treaty of Paris aimed at bringing peace to a continent shattered by long years of wars. According to article seven of the Treaty, Malta was to pass formally under the sovereignty of the British monarch.

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