Dafydd ap Llywelyn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dafydd ap Llywelyn |
|
|---|---|
| Prince of Aberffraw and Lord of Snowdon | |
Dafydd with his father Llywelyn and half-brother Gruffudd
|
|
| Prince of Wales | |
| Reign | 1240–1246 |
| Predecessor | Llewelyn the Great as Prince of Gwynedd |
| Successor | Llewelyn the Last |
| Born | April 1212 Castell Hen Blas, Coleshill, Bagillt, Wales |
| Died | 25 February 1246 (aged 33) Abergwyngregyn, Wales |
| Burial | Aberconwy Abbey, Wales |
| Spouse | Isabella de Braose |
| Issue | Dafydd ap Dafydd ap Llywelyn |
| House | Aberffraw |
| Father | Llewelyn the Great |
| Mother | Joan, Lady of Wales |
Dafydd ap Llywelyn (born around March 1212 – died February 25, 1246) was a powerful Welsh prince. He ruled Gwynedd, a kingdom in Wales, from 1240 to 1246. He was the very first ruler in Wales to officially use the important title of Prince of Wales.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Dafydd was born in April 1212 at Castell Hen Blas, Coleshill, in Bagillt, Wales. He was the only son of Llywelyn the Great, a famous Welsh prince, and his wife, Joan. Joan was the daughter of King John of England.
Becoming the Next Prince
In his later years, Dafydd's father, Llywelyn, worked hard to make sure Dafydd would be his only heir. This was important because, by Welsh law, Dafydd's older half-brother, Gruffydd, also had a claim to rule.
To strengthen Dafydd's claim, Llywelyn got help from powerful people. In 1220, Dafydd's uncle, King Henry III of England, recognized Dafydd as the chosen heir. Also, Dafydd's mother, Joan, was declared legitimate by the Pope. This helped make Dafydd's right to rule even stronger.
Challenges and Conflicts
Even with strong support, Dafydd faced challenges. Many people in Gwynedd supported his half-brother, Gruffydd. Dafydd lost a key supporter when his mother died in 1237. However, he still had the help of Ednyfed Fychan, a very influential official in Gwynedd.
In 1237, Dafydd's father, Llywelyn, became ill. Dafydd then started taking a bigger role in leading the government. When his father died in 1240, Dafydd officially became the ruler of Gwynedd.
Dealing with King Henry III
Although King Henry III had accepted Dafydd as ruler of Gwynedd, he did not want Dafydd to keep the lands his father had won outside Gwynedd. As the relationship between them worsened, Dafydd looked for allies against Henry. He even sent messengers to the king of France, Louis IX.
However, in August 1241, King Henry invaded Gwynedd. After a short fight, Dafydd had to give in. Under a peace agreement called the Treaty of Gwerneigron, Dafydd had to give up all his lands outside Gwynedd. He also had to hand over his half-brother Gruffydd, whom he had kept in prison. King Henry hoped to use Gruffydd against Dafydd. But in March 1244, Gruffydd died while trying to escape from the Tower of London.
Later Reign and Death
Gruffydd's death gave Dafydd more freedom to act. He formed an alliance with other Welsh princes. Together, they attacked English lands in Wales. Dafydd had several victories in the north. By March 1245, he had taken back the castle of Mold and his old lands in Flintshire. It's also possible that the castle of Dyserth fell to his forces that summer.
In August 1245, King Henry again invaded Gwynedd. But Dafydd's men defeated Henry's army in a narrow pass. Henry continued to the Conwy river and started building a new castle at Deganwy.
Diplomacy and Final Days
Dafydd also started talking with Pope Innocent IV. The Pope recognized Dafydd's right to rule over north Wales. However, after King Henry worked hard to change the Pope's mind, this decision was reversed in 1245.
Fierce fighting continued at Deganwy. King Henry's army started running out of supplies because the Welsh had captured some of them. A truce was agreed upon, and Henry's army left in the autumn. The truce lasted through the winter. The war ended suddenly when Dafydd died in his royal home at Abergwyngregyn in February 1246. He was buried next to his father at the abbey of Aberconwy. The writer of Brut y Tywysogyon called him tarian Cymru – which means "the shield of Wales."
Who Ruled Next?
Dafydd's marriage to Isabella de Braose did not result in any children who could inherit his rule. So, the two older sons of Gruffydd, Dafydd's half-brother, became the next rulers. These were Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Owain ap Gruffydd.
They divided Gwynedd between them and continued the war with King Henry. In April 1247, Llywelyn and Owain met the King at Woodstock. They made a deal with him, but it meant losing a lot of territory. Llywelyn and Owain ruled Gwynedd together until Llywelyn defeated Owain at the battle of Bryn Derwin in 1255.
See also
In Spanish: Dafydd ap Llywelyn para niños
