At the time of the Prince’s visit, the islands of Cephalonia and Ithaca were both governed by Britain. The islands had been under Venetian rule for centuries, until the Venetian defeat during the Napoleonic wars. Following the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Britain took control of the islands until 1864, when they returned to Greece. The same year, Prince William of Denmark was elected King George I of the Hellenes. His sister was Princess Alexandra, the future wife of the Prince of Wales. Acquired by the Prince of Wales, 1862