Princess of Wales

Princess of Wales is a courtesy title possessed automatically by the wife of the Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1282. Because of the mortality rate, combined with the fact that some Princes of Wales did not marry until after coming to the throne, there have in fact been only nine holders of the title since that date.

Welsh Princess of Wales

The last true born Princess of Wales was Gwenllian, grandaughter of Simon de Montfort.

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Gwenllian was the daughter of Llywelyn the Last and his cousin Eleanor de Montfort, daughter of Simon

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de Montfort. Her mother died in childbirth at the palace of Pen-y-Bryn, in Abergwyngregyn near Bangor, Gwynedd on 12 June 1282, and her father was killed at Irfon Bridge a few weeks later, becoming therefore the only child of the marriage.

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There were no sons to inherit the title of Prince of Wales, but as the daughter of Prince Llywelyn, Gwenllian was the heiress of the Princes of Gwynedd and the royal family of Aberffraw. She was the Princess of Wales and as a result represented considerable danger to the king of England. Were it not for their close family ties it is likely that the king would have arranged for her too to be killed.

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Instead, the king, Edward I, had her hauled off to Sempringham Priory in Lincolnshire, where she spent over 50 years incarcerated, dying of old age there.

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Edward kept the title of 'Prince of Wales' for the crown, bestowing it upon his son Edward who was crowned in Caernarfon in 1301 aged 17 years. Hence the title passed as a grace title bestowable by the English monarchy.

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