Since Malta is such an awesome country home to luxorious beaches, beautiful women, good food, a weird language and beautiful women, I decided to make a timeline where it (for once) is the center of attention. Yes ITTL, Malta actually develops into a full blown kingdom just like England, France and the others during the middle ages.
It all begins with William III Hauteville, a Norman by descent who was king of Sicily and yes Malta in OTL for ten months. He reigned in 1194 at the age of 8 following the death of his father and predecessor, Tancred. However IOTL, his reign is cut short when he is ousted by his great aunt Constance and her husband the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI and four year later, murdered. However, in this timeline, a young William III assisted by his mother and regent Sibylla of Acerra flee to Malta and claim it as an independent nation while Henry and Constance rush to conquer Sicily. William III thus serves as the king of Malta with his mother acting as his regent until he reaches the age of 18 in 1204. In negotiating an alliance with France, William marries Marie, the young daughter of French king Philip II in 1213: he is 27 and she is 15. Two years later, a son is born to them who is named Philip after his maternal grandfather. Philip eventually suceeds William III as King of Malta after he dies. In 1220, an ambitious 34 year old William makes a campaign to reconquer Sicily from Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and with the help of Philip and the France, this suceeds. William is thus the King of Sicily again but still choses for Malta to remain the capital of his newly formed "empire." This thus begins the legacy of the Kingdom of Malta!