Everything about Dafydd Ap Llywelyn totally explained
Dafydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1208 –
February 25,
1246) was Prince of
Gwynedd from
1240 to
1246. He was for a time recognised as
Prince of Wales by the English Crown.
Descent
He was the only son of
Llywelyn the Great by his wife,
Joan (daughter of King
John). In his last years Llywelyn went to great lengths to have Dafydd accepted as his sole heir. By
Welsh law Dafydd's older half brother,
Gruffydd had a claim to consideration as Llywelyn's successor. Llywelyn had Dafydd recognised as his named heir by his uncle King
Henry III of England in 1220, and also had Dafydd's mother Joan declared legitimate by the Pope to strengthen Dafydd's position.
Conflict
There was considerable support for Gruffydd in
Gwynedd. Although Dafydd lost one of his most important supporters when his mother died in 1237, he retained the support of
Ednyfed Fychan, the Seneschal of Gwynedd and the wielder of great political influence. Llywelyn suffered a paralytic stroke in 1237, and Dafydd took an increasing role in government. Dafydd ruled Gwynedd following his father's death in 1240.
Although King
Henry III of England had accepted his claim to rule Gwynedd, he wasn't disposed to allow him to retain his father's conquests outside Gwynedd. In 1241 the King invaded Gwynedd, and Dafydd was forced to submit. He had to give up all his lands outside Gwynedd, and also to hand over to the King his half brother Gruffydd whom he'd been keeping a prisoner. Henry thereby gained what could have been a useful weapon against Dafydd, with the possibility of setting Gruffydd up as a rival to Dafydd in Gwynedd, but Gruffydd died trying to escape from the
Tower of London by climbing down a knotted sheet, and fell to his death in early 1244.
Later reign
This freed Dafydd's hands, and he entered into an alliance with other Welsh princes to attack English possessions in Wales. The revolt had some success, and in
1245 King Henry again invaded Gwynedd and built a new castle at
Deganwy.
Savage fighting followed, but the campaign was ended by the sudden death of Dafydd in the royal home
Garth Celyn Aber Garth Celyn, in February 1246. He was buried with his father at the abbey of
Aberconwy.
Succession
Since Dafydd's marriage to Isabella, daughter of
William de Braose, 10th Baron Abergavenny, had failed to produce an heir, the two elder sons of Gruffydd,
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and
Owain ap Gruffydd, divided Gwynedd between them and continued the war with King Henry until April 1247, when Llywelyn and Owain met the King at Woodstock and came to terms with him at the cost of the loss of much territory.
Further Information
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