Dafydd ap Llywelyn

Long ago, a man named Dafydd lived in Wales.

His father was a great leader. His father wanted Dafydd to be the next king.

Dafydd became the king of his land. He had to fight to keep his lands. He even fought against a king from England.

Dafydd worked with other leaders to help his people. He won back some of his old lands.

Later, there was a war again. The English king came to his land. They had a truce to stop the fighting.

Dafydd died in the year 1246. People said he was like a shield for Wales. He was a very important king.

Dafydd ap Llywelyn was a king in Wales. He ruled a place called Gwynedd.

His father was a leader named Llywelyn the Great. Llywelyn wanted Dafydd to be the next king. He worked hard to make this happen. He even asked the Pope to help.

Dafydd faced many hard times. King Henry III of England was his rival. In 1241, Henry invaded Gwynedd. Dafydd had to sign a treaty. He gave up some of his lands. He also had to hand over his half-brother, Gruffydd.

Later, Dafydd fought to win his lands back. He worked with other Welsh princes. He even won back the castle of Mold.

In 1245, King Henry invaded again. Fighting happened at Deganwy castle. A truce was made to stop the war.

Dafydd died in February 1246. Some people called him the shield of Wales. He was buried at Aberconwy Abbey. After he died, his cousins ruled Gwynedd. They continued to fight for their land.

Dafydd ap Llywelyn was a ruler in Wales. He was the King of Gwynedd from 1240 to 1246.

His father was Llywelyn the Great. Llywelyn wanted Dafydd to be his only heir. He worked hard to make this true. He asked King Henry III to recognize Dafydd in 1220. He even asked Pope Honorius III to help. This was to make sure Dafydd's claim was strong. Dafydd was likely born in 1212 at Castell Hen Blas.

Being a king was a hard job for Dafydd. He had many rivals for the throne. His older half-brother, Gruffydd, also had a claim to rule. Dafydd had to deal with many difficult people. He lost his mother in 1237. This meant he lost a very important supporter. However, he still had Ednyfed Fychan on his side. Ednyfed was a man with great political influence. He helped Dafydd during his time in power.

Conflict with England was a major part of his life. King Henry III of England was a powerful rival. In August 1241, Henry invaded the land of Gwynedd. Dafydd had to sign the Treaty of Gwerneigron. This treaty forced him to give up lands outside Gwynedd. He also had to hand over Gruffydd to the King. Gruffydd was kept in the Tower of London. In March 1244, Gruffydd died while trying to escape. He tried to climb down using a knotted sheet.

After Gruffydd died, Dafydd became more active again. He made alliances with other Welsh princes. They worked together to take back English lands. By March 1245, Dafydd won back the castle of Mold. He also held lands in modern-day Flintshire. In August 1245, King Henry III invaded Gwynedd once more. Fighting took place at Deganwy castle. The English army ran short of food during this time. A truce was finally agreed upon in the autumn.

War ended suddenly because of Dafydd's death. He died in February 1246 at Abergwyngregyn. He was buried at Aberconwy Abbey with his father. A writer called him the "shield of Wales."

A poet named Dafydd Benfras also wrote for him. After Dafydd died, his cousins took over. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Owain Goch ap Gruffydd divided Gwynedd. They continued to fight for their land for many years. This shows how much the leaders of Wales mattered.

Dafydd ap Llywelyn was the King of Gwynedd from 1240 to 1246. Gwynedd is a region in North Wales. His reign was a period of intense political struggle and military conflict. He spent much of his life trying to protect his right to rule. This was difficult because of both family rivalries and pressure from England.

Dafydd was born around 1212 at Castell Hen Blas in Flintshire. He was the son of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, known as Llywelyn the Great. His mother was Joan, the Lady of Wales. Joan was the daughter of King John of England. Because of his royal connections, Dafydd had a very high status. However, his path to the throne was not simple. Under Welsh law, his older half-brother Gruffydd had a claim to succeed their father. To prevent this, Llywelyn the Great took several steps. He had King Henry III of England recognize Dafydd as his heir in 1220. He also sought help from the religious leader, Pope Honorius III. The Pope declared Dafydd's mother legitimate to strengthen his legal claim.

As Dafydd grew older, he took on more responsibility. In 1237, Llywelyn suffered a paralytic stroke. This medical event meant Dafydd began to manage government affairs more often. He also lost his mother that same year. Her death meant he lost a major political supporter. Despite this, he kept the support of Ednyfed Fychan. Ednyfed was the Seneschal of Gwynedd. This role gave him great political influence in the region.

Conflict with the English crown defined much of Dafydd's rule. When he officially became king in 1240, King Henry III did not want him to keep all his father's lands. Henry wanted to limit the power of the Welsh rulers. In August 1241, Henry III invaded Gwynedd. This military campaign forced Dafydd to submit to the English King. They signed the Treaty of Gwerneigron to end the fighting. This treaty was very harsh for Dafydd. He had to give up all lands located outside of Gwynedd. He also had to hand over his brother Gruffydd to the King. Gruffydd was kept in the Tower of London. In March 1244, Gruffydd died while trying to escape the tower by climbing down a knotted sheet.

With his brother gone, Dafydd felt more free to act. He formed alliances with other Welsh princes. Together, they attacked English-held territories in Wales. Dafydd saw several military successes in the north. By March 1245, his forces recovered the castle of Mold. They also took back lands in what is now Flintshire. It is also believed his men took the castle of Dyserth in the summer of 1245.

The fighting intensified again in August 1245. King Henry III led another invasion into Gwynedd. The English army moved as far as the River Conwy. They even began building a new castle at Deganwy. During this time, Dafydd used diplomacy to seek support from Pope Innocent IV. The Pope eventually recognized Dafydd's right to rule North Wales. However, the English King worked to reverse this decision. Intense fighting continued at Deganwy castle. The English army eventually ran low on food because the Welsh captured their supplies. A truce was signed in the autumn of 1245, and the English army withdrew.

The war ended unexpectedly due to a sudden death. Dafydd died in February 1246 at the royal home in Abergwyngregyn. He was buried at Aberconwy Abbey alongside his father. A writer of the time called him "tarian Cymru," which means the shield of Wales. A poet named Dafydd Benfras also wrote an elegy, or a poem for the dead, to honor him.

Dafydd's death left a gap in leadership. He had married Isabella de Braose, but they had no surviving children. This meant he had no direct heir to take his place. Because of this, the two sons of his brother Gruffydd took control. These were Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Owain Goch ap Gruffydd. They divided the rule of Gwynedd between them. They continued to fight against King Henry III until April 1247. Eventually, they had to meet the King at Woodstock to make peace. This peace came at the cost of losing even more territory. Llywelyn and Owain ruled jointly until 1255, when Llywelyn won a battle against his cousin at Bryn Derwin.