Editing Caernarfon (section)

==History==
{{See also|Segontium|History of Gwynedd during the High Middle Ages}}
[[File:Town Hall gate, Caernarvon.jpeg|thumb|Town Hall gate {{circa|1840}}]]
Caernarfon contains a Roman fort, Segontium, and a Norman [[motte-and-bailey castle]] was built at the mouth of the River Seiont.

In 1283, [[Edward I, King of England|King Edward I]] completed his [[Conquest of Wales by Edward I|conquest of Wales]] which he secured by a chain of castles and walled towns. The construction of a new stone [[Caernarfon Castle]] seems to have started as soon as the campaign had finished.<ref>Taylor, Arnold (1997) [1953], Caernarfon Castle and Town Walls (4th ed.), Cardiff: Cadw – Welsh Historic Monuments, {{ISBN|1-85760-042-8}}</ref> Edward's architect, [[James of St. George]], may well have modelled the castle on the [[walls of Constantinople]], possibly being aware of the town's legendary associations. Edward's fourth son, Edward of Caernarfon, later [[Edward II of England]], was born at the castle in April 1284 and made [[Prince of Wales]] in 1301.<ref name="EB1911" /> A story recorded in the 16th century suggests that the new prince was offered to the native Welsh on the premise "that [he] was borne in Wales and could speake never a word of English", however, there is no contemporary evidence to support this.<ref>Phillips, Seymour (2006). "The Place of the Reign of Edward II". In Dodd, Gwilym; Musson, Anthony, ''The Reign of Edward II: New Perspectives'', Woodbridge, UK: York Medieval Press. pp. 220–233. {{ISBN|978-1-903153-19-2}}</ref>

Caernarfon was constituted a [[borough]] in 1284 by a charter of Edward I.<ref name="Coflein" /> The charter, which was confirmed on a number of occasions, appointed the mayor of the borough Constable of the Castle [[ex officio]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cyngor Tref Frenhinol Caernarfon Royal Town Council |url=http://www.caernarfontowncouncil.gov.uk/eng/siarter.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018033641/http://www.caernarfontowncouncil.gov.uk/eng/siarter.html |archive-date=18 October 2012 |access-date=29 September 2012 |publisher=Caernarfontowncouncil.gov.uk}}</ref>

[[File:Anglesey Caernarnan Atlas.jpg|thumb|250px|Hand-drawn map of Anglesey and Caernarfon by Christopher Saxton from 1578]]

[[File:Y Draig Aur Owain Glyndŵr.jpg|thumb|On 2 November 1401, 'Y Ddraig Aur' (The golden dragon) of [[Owain Glyndŵr]] was attested to have been flown during the [[Battle of Tuthill]] at Caernarfon, it is also likely that it was also flown throughout the Welsh independence campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |last=nathenamin |date=2011-11-08 |title=History of Welsh Flags |url=https://nathenamin.com/2011/11/08/history-of-welsh-flags/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Enter the Dragon: Revealing the history of the Welsh flag |url=https://www.thenational.wales/culture/19114269.revealing-secret-history-wales-flag/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=The National Wales |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=WalesOnline |date=2013-04-27 |title=Is the Welsh dragon the most important object in Welsh history? |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/welsh-dragon-most-important-object-3012086 |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=WalesOnline |language=en}}</ref>]]

In 1911, [[David Lloyd George]], then [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Caernarfon (UK Parliament constituency)|Caernarfon boroughs]], which included various towns from Llŷn to Conwy, agreed to the [[British Royal Family]]'s idea of holding the [[investiture of the Prince of Wales]] at [[Caernarfon Castle]]. The ceremony took place on 13 July, with the royal family visiting Wales, and the future [[Edward VIII]] was [[Investiture of Edward, Prince of Wales|duly invested]].

In 1955, Caernarfon was in the running for the title of [[Capital of Wales]] on historical grounds but the town's campaign was heavily defeated in a ballot of Welsh local authorities, with 11 votes compared to Cardiff's 136.<ref>{{cite web|title=INVESTING IN CAERNARFON|url=http://www.propertyinvestorswales.com/investing-in-wales/investing-in-caernarfon.html|publisher=Property Investors Wales|access-date=4 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701110943/http://www.propertyinvestorswales.com/investing-in-wales/investing-in-caernarfon.html|archive-date=1 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Cardiff]] therefore became the Welsh capital.
[[File:Prince Charles' Investiture 1 (1559160).jpg|thumb|Scene in Caernarfon on Investiture day 1969.]]
On 1 July 1969, the [[Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales|investiture ceremony]] for [[Charles, Prince of Wales]] was again held at Caernarfon Castle. The ceremony went ahead without incident despite terrorist threats and protests, which culminated in the death of two members of [[Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru]] (Welsh Defence Movement), Alwyn Jones and George Taylor, who were killed when their bomb – intended for the railway line at [[Abergele]] in order to stop the [[British Royal Train]] – exploded prematurely. The bombing campaign (one in Abergele, two in Caernarfon and finally one on [[Llandudno Pier]]) was organised by the movement's leader, John Jenkins. He was later arrested after a tip-off and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/06/26/parade-to-commemorate-the-abergele-martyrs-55578-23984872/|title=Parade to commemorate the Abergele Martyrs|publisher=Dailypost.co.uk|access-date=29 September 2012}}</ref>

In July 2019, Caernarfon hosted a rally for Welsh independence. The event, organised by AUOB (All Under One Banner) Cymru, included a march through the town centre. Organisers estimated that roughly 8,000 people joined the march on the town square; local authorities confirmed at least 5,000 attendees.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-49137381|title=Thousands march for Welsh independence|date=2019-07-27|access-date=2019-09-03|language=en-GB}}</ref> The event featured a number of speakers including [[Hardeep Singh Kohli]], Evra Rose, Dafydd Iwan, Lleuwen Steffan, Siôn Jobbins, Beth Angell, Gwion Hallam, Meleri Davies and Elfed Wyn Jones. Talks covered criticism of Brexit and Westminster with advocating Welsh Independence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/independence-march-caernarfon-sparks-polarised-16639005|title=Independence march in Caernarfon sparks polarised reaction on social media|last=Evans|first=Harri|date=2019-07-27|website=northwales|access-date=2019-09-03}}</ref>

The history of Caernarfon, as an example where the rise and fall of different civilizations can be seen from one hilltop, is discussed in [[John Michael Greer]]'s book ''The Long Descent''.  He writes of Caernarfon: {{Blockquote|Spread out below us in an unexpected glory of sunlight was the whole recorded history of that little corner of the world. The ground beneath us still rippled with earthworks from the Celtic hill fort that guarded the Menai Strait more than two and a half millennia ago. The Roman fort that replaced it was now the dim brown mark of an old archaeological site on low hills off to the left. Edward I’s great grey castle rose up in the middle foreground, and the high contrails of RAF jets on a training exercise out over the Irish Sea showed that the town’s current overlords still maintained the old watch. Houses and shops from more than half a dozen centuries spread eastward as they rose through the waters of time, from the cramped medieval buildings of the old castle town straight ahead to the gaudy sign and sprawling parking lot of the supermarket back behind us.<ref>{{cite book|title=Long Descent: A User's Guide to the End of the Industrial Age|first= John Michael |last=Greer|publisher=New Society Publishers|year=2008|isbn=978-0865716094}}</ref>}}