The Last Prince of Wales

In 1922 Charles Ashton appeared in a historical film drama The Last King of Wales , which was about the rise and fall of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, in the thirteenth century.  A copy of this film is held in the National Library of Wales’ National Screen and Sound Archive.  Readers, however, might be interested to know that the BBC’s recent Story of Wales history series featured a programme on Llywelyn, who from 1267 became lord of some three quarters of Wales and had perhaps 200,000 subjects, all this with the assistance of Simon de Montfort, an English Baron who led the Baron’s Revolt in England.    Llywelyn’s downfall came about when he ousted his brothers and angered the new King Edward I because of his intention to marry Eleanor, daughter of Simon de Montfort.  The King believed the Prince was seeking to stir up another Barons’ War in England.  In 1275, the King kidnapped Eleanor and summoned Llywelyn to make homage to him. Llywelyn refused on the grounds that the king was harbouring his enemies and had seized his future wife.  In 1276, Edward declared Llywelyn a rebel.  By 1277 he was forced to submit to the King’s army when the forces reached the heart of Gwynedd.  Under the Treaty of Aberconwy, his authority was confined to the lands west of the River Conwy; much of the land to its east was granted to Dafydd. Llywelyn was not deprived of the title of Prince of Wales, but most of the lesser Welsh rulers were no longer to recognise him as overlord.  For more information on this medieval Welsh prince go to the BBC’s website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/rise_of_llywelyn_ap_gruffudd

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