Wales

Ancient Britain had its petty kings down to the Roman invasion of that country; and the Romans were styled Kings of Britain, until Constantine the Great united that country to the Roman empire.

The second line of English Kings bears date from the departure of the Romans from Britain; when the Britons chosen for themselves, out of Armorica (now Bretagne) in Gaul, a king of their own blood. This line of Kings was soon after dispossessed of crown and country, by the Saxons, who divided Britain among themselves, into seven kingdoms, called the Heptarchy.

Thus dispossessed the Britons retired beyond the Severn, and their new country came to be called Wales, and the people Walsh or Welsh; because by changing G into W, according to the Saxon usage, Galles became Walles, and Gallish became Wallish; the Britons being descended from the Gauls. Even to this day the French call the “Prince of Wales” by the name le Prince de Galles. At first the Chiefs in Wales were styled “Kings;” and were as follows:

This Roderick Mawr (or Mór) divided Wales amongst his three sons—1. Amarawd, to whom he allotted North Wales as his part; 2. Cadel, whose part was South Wales; 3. Mervyn, whose portion was Powys-land.

North Wales contained the territory comprising the counties of Merioneth, Denbigh, Flint, Carnarvon, and the Island of Anglesey. Amarawd possessed superiority of power over his two younger brothers, who were “homagers” to him; and his seat was at Aberstraw. It was therefore that the Princes of North Wales were sometimes called Kings of Aberstraw.

South Wales contained the territory which comprises the counties of Glamorgan, Pembroke, Carmarthen, Cardigan, and part of Brecknock; and the principal seat of its Princes was at Dynefar or Dynevor, near Carmarthen, and they were therefore called the Kings of Dynevor.

Powys-land was the least of three divisions of Wales, and contained only the county of Montgomery, parts of Radnor, Brecknock, Denbigh, and Shropshire; it was ultimately dismembered by the Princes of North Wales. The chief seat of Powysland was at Matraval, Montgomeryshire; and hence its Princes were called Kings of Matraval. The last Prince of Powyis-land, before its dismemberment, was Meredith-ap-Blethin, who divided it between his two sons—1. Madoc, 2. Gryffith; Madoc died at Winchester, A.D. 1160; and Gryffith was by King Henry I., of England, created “Lord Powys;” the residue of Powys-land, which had belonged to Madoc, being still attached to North Wales.

The following were the Lords Powys, since the reign of King Henry I.:

The following were the Princes of Wales since the death of Roderick Mawr, who began to reign, A.D. 843:

North Wales.

This Llewellen was the last of the Princes of Wales, of the British race.

South Wales.

In this Gryffith ended the line of the Princes of South Wales; his country being conquered by the English, and his two sons Meredith and Cynerick taken by King Henry II., who caused their eyes to be put out. After which time South Wales was reckoned as part of the realm of England.

According to Humphrey Lloyd, the principal Kings and Princes of Wales (or those who gave law to the others) were:

This Llewellen (or Llewyllen) ap Gryffith was the last Prince of Wales of the British race, who lost his life and Principality to Edward I., King of England, A.D. 1282; after whose death, the King, perceiving that the Welsh had no affection to be ruled by strangers, sent for his Queen, who was then enciente, to come to him to Carnarvon. The Queen having been then delivered of a son, King Edward called the Welsh lords together, and offered to give them a Prince to bear rule among them; a Prince, he said, of their own nation; one who spoke not a word of English; and one whose life no one could impeach. When the Welsh lords had all sworn to yield obedience to such a Prince, Edward presented to them his new-born son, and named him as their Prince: since which time the eldest sons of the English Monarchs have generally been created “Princes of Wales,” tenendum sibi et hæredibus suis Angliæ (to hold to them and their heirs, Kings of England).

Edward II., who had been summoned by his father to Parliament by the name of Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, summoned his eldest son (Edward III.) by no other name than Earl of Chester and Flint. Edward III. first used the ceremony of Creation, by Letters Patent and Investiture.

The Princes of Wales who were created by Parliamentary Writ, or Special Charter, down to King Charles II., were the following:

Notes

[1] Prince: It was Edward the Black Prince who, at the Battle of Cressy, won from John Prince of Bohemia (whom the Black Prince there slew), the coronet of the Prince of Wales, with the three Ostrich Feathers, and the scroll with the motto—Ich Dien (I serve).