Gruffydd ap Llewelyn, King of Wales

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Gruffudd ap Llewelyn

Also Known As: "Gruffudd ap Llywelyn"
Birthdate:
Birthplace: Rhuddlan, Flintshire, Wales
Death: August 05, 1064 (48-57)
Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Britain
Place of Burial: Abbeycwmhir, Powys, Wales
Immediate Family:

Son of Llywelyn ap Seisyll and Angharad verch Maredudd
Husband of Nest ferch Olaf/Afloed and Ealdgyth
Partner of Cynfryd ferch Rhirid Mawr
Father of Owain ap Gruffudd; Ithel ap Gruffydd; Maredudd ap Gruffudd; Nest (1) verch Gruffudd; Cynyn ap Gruffudd and 2 others
Half brother of Ifor ap Gwyn; Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn, Prince of Powys; Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Brenin Powys; Gwenwyn verch Cynfyn; Llewelyn ap Cynfyn and 1 other

Occupation: "King of the Britons." Ruler of Wales from 1055-his death, KING OF GWYNEDD-1039 KING OF DEHEUBARTH 1055-, King of Wales, Ruler of all Wales, King of all Wales (1039 - 1063), King of Gwynedd and Powys, Ruler of Wales, King of the Brittons, King
Managed by: Private User
Last Updated:

About Gruffydd ap Llewelyn, King of Wales

See Peter Bartrum, https://cadair.aber.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/handle/2160/6516/TABLES%... (May 27, 2018; Anne Brannen, curator)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Minimum Age for Welsh Kingship in the 11th Century; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id45.html. (Steven Ferry, October 5, 2019.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Royal Family of Powys - End of the Powys Dynasty; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id14.html. (Steven Ferry, October 18, 2019.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Royal Family of Powys - Powys Dynastic Family 945-1385; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id20.html. (Steven Ferry, October 19, 2019.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Royal Family of Gwynedd - History of Gruffudd ap Cynan, a New Perspective; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id46.html. (Steven Ferry, December 1, 2019.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Royal Family of Gwynedd - The Unofficial "History" of Gruffudd, Nephew of Iago; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id74.html. (Steven Ferry, December 4, 2019.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Royal Family of Gwynedd - Wikipedia's Lame Biography of Rhodri Mawr; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id165.html. (Steven Ferry, January 26, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Pedigree of the Ancient Lords of Ial; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id93.html. (Steven Ferry, April 6, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Shropshire Walcot Family - Chart I: The Welsh Walcot Family; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id100.html. (Steven Ferry, April 22, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Shropshire Walcot Family - Chart II: Second Powys Dynasty; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id99.html. (Steven Ferry, May 14, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Shropshire Walcot Family- Chart III: First Powys Dynasty; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id98.html. (Steven Ferry, May 17, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Shropshire Walcot Family - Chart IV: Arwystli Dynasty; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id95.html. (Steven Ferry, May 23, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Retaking of Northeast Wales in the 10th Century; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id60.html. (Steven Ferry, May 25, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: What Really Happened in Deheubarth in 1022?; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id216.html. (Steven Ferry, May 28, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The 1039 Battle at Rhyd y Groes; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id211.html. (Steven Ferry, June 3, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Edwin of Tegeingl and His Family - The Ancestry of Edwin of Tegeingl; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id42.html. (Steven Ferry, June 5, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Edwin of Tegeingl and His Family - Was Owain ap Edwin Really a Traitor; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id87.html. (Steven Ferry, June 8, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Edwin of Tegeingl and His Family - Uchdryd ap Edwin - the Younger Son; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id86.html. (Steven Ferry, June 11, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Ithel of Bryn in Powys; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id43.html. (Steve Ferry, June 24, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Trahaearn ap Caradog of Arwystli; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id68.html. (Steven Ferry, July 7, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Cadwgan of Nannau; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id66.html. (Steven Ferry, July 16, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Two Families Headed by a Rhydderch ap Iestyn; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id212.html. (Steven Ferry, July 18, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Era of Llewelyn ap Seisyll; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id207.html. (Steven Ferry, July 19, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Cynfyn ap Gwerystan, the Interim King; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id209.html. (Steven Ferry, July 21, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Consorts and Children of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id210.html. (Steven Ferry, July 22, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott; The First Wife of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id148.html. (Steven Ferry, July 23, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Enigmatic Elystan Glodrydd; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id199.html. (Steven Ferry, August 11, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Unofficial "History" of Elystan of Powys; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id230.html. (Steven Ferry, August 12, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The "Betrayal" by Meirion Goch Revisited; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id90.html. (Steven Ferry, August 15, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Men of Lleyn - How They Got There; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id118.html. (Steven Ferry, August 17, 2020.)

Please see Darrel Wolcott: The Family of Trahaearn ap Caradog; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id240.html. (Steven Ferry, August 29, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Ednowain ap Bradwen; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id196.html. (Steven Ferry, September 2, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Three Men Called Iorwerth Goch "ap Maredudd"; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id140.html. (Steven Ferry, September 6, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The 'Next Heir' of Morgan of Caerleon; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id214.html. (Steven Ferry, September 18, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Gwyn ap Ednowain Bendew; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id244.html. (Steven Ferry, January 2, 2021)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Bartrum's "Pedigrees of the Welsh Tribal Patriarchs" #29 - Llewelyn Aurdorchog; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id259.html. (Steven Ferry, March 16, 2021.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Men of Pennant Melangell in Mochnant; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id289.html. (Steven Ferry, February 8, 2022.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Ancestry of King Rhys ap Tewdwr of Deheubarth; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id309.html (Steven Ferry, January 12, 2023.)

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Gruffydd ap Llywelyn

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1020–August 5, 1063) was the ruler of all Wales from 1055 until his death, one of very few able to make this boast. Known as King of the Britons, he was great-great-grandson to Hywel Dda and King Anarawd ap Rhodri of Gwynedd.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruffydd_ap_Llywelyn


The King of Wales is Murdered The first (and indeed only) Welsh monarch was toppled on August 5th, 1063. Richard Cavendish | Published in History Today Volume 63 Issue 8 August 2013 Scene of surprise: Rhuddlan Castle, Denbighshire, North Wales Scene of surprise: Rhuddlan Castle, Denbighshire, North Wales Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the first, the last and the only King of Wales. For centuries Wales had been split into petty kingdoms, in shifting patterns of alliances and hostilities. Princely dynasties had to cope not only with each other but with ambitious members of their own families, as well as attacks by the Irish and the Vikings and pressure from the English on the eastern border.

Gruffydd was the elder son of Llywelyn ap Seisyll, who ruled the kingdoms of Gwynedd in the north-west and Powys in central Wales until he died in 1023, when Gruffydd would have been about 16. His successor was Iago ab Idwal of an Anglesey branch of the family. Gruffydd bided his time until in 1039 he killed Iago or had him killed and took over Gwynedd and Powys. In 1041 he seized Dyfed in the far south-west, driving the king out and taking his wife as a concubine. He was a ruthless warrior and in a succession of battles he secured his hold on the whole south-west and went on to intervene in English politics.

The most powerful men in England under Edward the Confessor were Earl Godwin’s sons Harold and Tostig, who succeeded in getting Aelfgar, the heir to the earldom of Mercia, sent into exile. Gruffydd made an alliance with Aelfgar and in 1055 the two of them joined forces to attack and loot Hereford. Gruffydd carried off substantial plunder and married Aelfgar’s beautiful daughter Ealdgyth. About this time he seized Morgannwg and Gwent in the south and south-east and was now recognised as the ruler of all Wales.

Late in 1062 Earl Harold made a surprise attack on Gruffydd at Rhuddlan in North Wales, where he had his court. Gruffydd escaped by the skin of his teeth, but in the following spring Harold and Tostig attacked him again. In August Gruffydd was killed somewhere in Snowdonia, according to one tradition by his own men and to another in revenge by the son of Iago ab Idwal. His head was cut off and sent to Earl Harold, who then married Gruffydd’s widow Ealdgyth. Gruffydd’s realm was again divided up into its traditional kingdoms.

The Welsh chronicles known as the Brenhinedd y Saeson said that Gruffydd died ‘after many plunderings and victorious battles against his foes, after many feasts and delights, and great gifts of gold and silver and costly raiment, he who was sword and shield over the fate of all Wales.’ Ealdgyth had been Queen of Wales and was soon briefly Queen of England, but only until Harold was killed at Hastings in 1066. That would bring the Welsh up against the Normans.

https://www.historytoday.com/

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Gruffydd ap Llewelyn, King of Wales's Timeline

1011
1011
Rhuddlan, Flintshire, Wales
1029
1029
1039
1039
1041
1041
Rhuddlan, Flintshire, Wales
1042
1042
Rhuddlan, Flintshire, Wales
1050
1050
1055
1055
Rhuddlan, Flintshire, Wales
1063
1063
Age 52
1063
Age 52