Llywelyn the Last

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Gruffudd (c. 1228–December 11, 1282) was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England (some would say he was the penultimate, but in effect he was the last ruler). In Welsh, he is remembered as Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf (Llywelyn, Our Last Leader).

Related Topics:
1228 - December 11 - 1282 - Wales - Edward I of England - Welsh

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He was one of the four sons of Gruffydd, the illegitimate son of Llywelyn the Great. Opinions vary as to whether Llywelyn was the second or third son, but he was definitely not the eldest. Having fought off the opposition of his uncles and of his eldest brother, he laid claim to the principality of Gwynedd in 1258, and took the title Prince of Wales, which was then virtually a new concept. He was recognised as such by Henry III of England in the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267. However, Llywelyn's territorial ambitions gradually made him unpopular with some of the other Welsh leaders, particularly the princes of south Wales.

Related Topics:
Gruffydd - Llywelyn the Great - Gwynedd - 1258 - Prince of Wales - Henry III of England - Treaty of Montgomery - 1267

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Although a capable military leader, Llywelyn lacked the political acumen of his grandfather, and made an unnecessary enemy of King Edward I of England by continuing to ally himself with the family of Simon de Montfort even after a precarious peace with the English had been concluded. Edward took exception to Llywelyn's marriage contract with Simon's daughter, Eleanor, seized the ship carrying her from France to Wales, and kept her prisoner at Windsor until Llywelyn made certain concessions. They were eventually married at Worcester in 1278.

Related Topics:
Edward I of England - Simon de Montfort - Eleanor - Windsor - Worcester - 1278

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Unusually for a Welsh prince, Llywelyn had no heirs (illegitimate sons being allowed by Welsh law to inherit), and depended on Eleanor to provide him with one. In 1282, she gave birth to a daughter, Gwenllian, but died in doing so, an event which seems to have had a serious emotional impact on Llywelyn. It was at this point that his younger brother, Dafydd, launched an attack on the English. Llywelyn felt obliged to support his brother, and a war began for which the Welsh were ill-prepared. Llywelyn's capable military leadership might still have prevailed, but he was ambushed and killed at Cilmeri, near Builth Wells, while attempting to rally support in south Wales. It was not until some time later that an English knight recognised the body as that of the prince. His head was then severed and delivered to London, where it was paraded through the streets.

Related Topics:
1282 - Gwenllian - Dafydd - Builth Wells

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There is an enigmatic reference in the Welsh annals Brut y Tywysogion, "... and then Llywelyn was betrayed in the belfry at Bangor by his own men". No further explanation is given.

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With the loss of Llywelyn, Welsh morale and the will to resist diminished, and Dafydd, having declared himself Llywelyn's successor, was forced to flee into the mountains. He was betrayed, captured and executed by Edward I.

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After the final defeat of 1283 the Kingdom of Gwynedd was stripped of all insignia, relics and regalia of statehood. Edward took particular delight in appropriating the residences of the Gwynedd dynasty. In August, 1284 he set up his court in two of Llywelyn's favorite former residences, Abergwynregyn and Caernarfon. With equal deliberateness he removed all the insignia of majesty from Gwynedd; Llywelyn's coronet was solemnly presented to the shrine of St. Edward at Westminster; the jewel or crown of King Arthur was an even more prized treasure; the matrices of the seals of Llywelyn, of his wife, and his brother Dafydd were melted down to make a chalice; the most precious religious relic in Gwynedd, the fragment of the True Cross known as Y Groes Naid, was paraded through London in May 1285 in a solemn procession on foot led by the king, the queen, the archbishop of Canterbury and fourteen bishops, and the magnates of the realm. Edward was thereby appropriating the historical and religious regalia of the house of Gwynedd and placarding to the world the extinction of its dynasty and the annexation of the principality to his Crown .

Related Topics:
Abergwynregyn - Caernarfon - Llywelyn's coronet - Crown of King Arthur - Y Groes Naid

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Most of Llywelyn's relatives ended their lives in captivity - with the notable exception of Madoc ap Llywelyn who led a future revolt and claimed the title Prince of Wales in 1294. Llywelyn's daughter, Gwenllian, was sent to the convent of Sempringham in Lincolnshire, where she died in her fifties. Llywelyn's surviving brother Rhodri ap Gruffudd (who had been exiled from Wales since 1272) survived and lived a life of obscurity holding a farmstead in Surrey dying around 1300. His grandson; Owain Lawgoch later claimed the title Prince of Wales.

Related Topics:
Madoc ap Llywelyn - Prince of Wales - Lincolnshire - Rhodri ap Gruffudd - Owain Lawgoch

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