Editing Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (section)

== Death and aftermath ==
[[File:Marwolaeth Llywelyn Fawr.JPG|thumb|The dying Llywelyn (left) with his sons, [[Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth|Gruffudd]] (centre) and [[Dafydd ap Llywelyn|Dafydd]] (right)]]
=== Arrangements for the succession ===
In his later years, Llywelyn devoted much effort to ensuring that his only legitimate son, [[Dafydd ap Llywelyn|Dafydd]], would follow him as ruler of Gwynedd and amended Welsh law as followed in Gwynedd.<ref>{{cite book |title=A history of Wales: from the Norman invasion to the Edwardian conquest |isbn=0760752419 |year=2004 |pages=297, 362 |publisher=Barnes & Noble |edition=Reprint |author=John Edward Lloyd}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|A history of Wales{{sfn|Lloyd|1911}} 2004 reprint, also look up, pp. 347, 369 and note 64, 82, 164|group=ll}} Llywelyn's amendment to Welsh law favouring legitimate children in a Church sanctioned marriage mirrored the earlier efforts of the Lord Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth, in designating [[Gruffydd ap Rhys II]] as his heir over those of his illegitimate eldest son, [[Maelgwn ap Rhys]]. In both cases, favouring legitimate children born in a Church sanctioned marriage would facilitate better relations between their sons and the wider Anglo-Norman polity and [[Catholic Church]] by removing any "stigma" of illegitimacy. Dafydd's older but illegitimate brother, [[Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr|Gruffudd]], was therefore excluded as the primary heir of Llywelyn, though would be given lands to rule. This was a departure from Welsh custom, which held that the eldest son was his father's heir regardless of his parents' marital status.<ref name="Welsh Succession Law">{{google book|id=tfUyAAAAIAAJ&rdid|title=The Ancient Laws of Wales|pages=192–200}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|According to Hubert Lewis, though not explicitly codified as such, the ''[[Edling]]'' or [[Heir apparent]], was ''by convention, custom and practice'' the eldest son of the lord and entitled to inheirit the position and title as "head of the family" from the father. Effectively [[primogeniture]] with local variations. However, all sons were provided for out of the lands of the father and in certain circumstances, so too were daughters. Additionally, sons could claim maternal patrimony through their mother in certain circumstances.|group=ll}}{{#tag:ref|There was provision in Welsh law for the selection of a single ''edling'' or heir by the ruler, for the succession which created a family struggle.{{sfn|Williams|1860|pages=393–413}} For a discussion of this, see Stephenson.{{sfn|Stephenson|1984|pages=138–141}}|group=ll}}

In 1220, Llywelyn induced the minority government of King Henry to acknowledge Dafydd as his heir.<ref name="Davies 249"/> In 1222, he petitioned [[Pope Honorius III]] to have Dafydd's succession confirmed. The original petition has not been preserved, but the Pope's reply refers to the "detestable custom... in his land whereby the son of the handmaiden was equally heir with the son of the free woman and illegitimate sons obtained an inheritance as if they were legitimate." The Pope welcomed the fact that Llywelyn was abolishing this custom.{{sfn|Pryce|2005|pp=414–415}} In 1226, Llywelyn persuaded the Pope to declare his wife Joan, Dafydd's mother, to be a legitimate daughter of King John, again in order to strengthen Dafydd's position, and in 1229, the English crown accepted Dafydd's homage for the lands he would inherit from his father.<ref name=DWB/><ref name="Davies 249" /> In 1238, Llywelyn held a council at [[Strata Florida Abbey]] where the other Welsh princes swore [[fealty]] to Dafydd.<ref name="Davies 249" /> Llywelyn's original intention had been that they should do homage to Dafydd, but the king wrote to the other rulers forbidding them to do homage.{{sfn|Carr|1995|p=60}} Additionally, King Llywelyn arranged for his son Dafydd to marry [[Isabella de Braose]], eldest daughter of William de Braose. As William de Braose had no male heir, Llywelyn strategized that the vast de Braose holdings in South Wales would pass to the heir of Dafydd with Isabella.

Gruffudd was given an [[appanage]] in [[Meirionnydd]] and [[Ardudwy]] but his rule was said to be oppressive, and in 1221 Llywelyn stripped him of these territories.{{sfn|Williams|1860|pp=182–183}} In 1228, Llywelyn imprisoned him, and he was not released until 1234. On his release, he was given part of [[Llŷn Peninsula|Llŷn]] to rule. His performance this time was apparently more satisfactory, and by 1238, he had been given the remainder of Llŷn and a substantial part of Powys.{{sfn|Lloyd|1911|p=692}}

=== Death and the transfer of power ===
[[Image:LlywelynCoffin.png|thumb|left|Llywelyn's stone coffin is now in [[Llanrwst]] parish church.]]

Joan died in 1237 and Llywelyn appears to have suffered a paralytic stroke the same year.{{sfn|Stephenson|1984|p=xxii}} From this time on, his heir Dafydd took an increasing part in the rule of the kingdom. Dafydd deprived his half-brother Gruffudd of the lands given him by Llywelyn and later seized him and his eldest son [[Owain Goch ap Gruffudd|Owain]] and held them in [[Criccieth Castle]]. The chronicler of ''[[Brut y Tywysogion]]'' records that in 1240, "the lord Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Wales, son of [[Owain Gwynedd]], a second [[Achilles]], died having taken on the habit of religion at Aberconwy, and was buried honourably."{{sfn|Williams|1860|p=198}}

Llywelyn died at the [[Cistercians]] abbey of [[Aberconwy Abbey|Aberconwy]], which he had founded and was buried there.<ref name=DWB/> This abbey was later moved to [[Maenan]], becoming the [[Maenan Abbey]], near [[Llanrwst]], and Llywelyn's stone coffin can now be seen in [[St Grwst's Church, Llanrwst]]. Among the poets who lamented his passing was Einion Wan:

{{blockquote|True lord of the land – how strange that today<br>He rules not o'er Gwynedd;<br>Lord of nought but the piled up stones of his tomb,<br>Of the seven-foot grave in which he lies.{{#tag:ref|Translated by Lloyd{{sfn|Lloyd|1911|p=693}}|group=ll}}}}

Dafydd succeeded Llywelyn as Prince of Gwynedd, but King Henry was not prepared to allow him to inherit his father's position in the remainder of Wales. Dafydd was forced to agree to a treaty greatly restricting his power and was also obliged to hand his half-brother Gruffudd over to the king, who now had the option of using him against Dafydd. Gruffudd was killed attempting to escape from the [[Tower of London]] in 1244. This left the field clear for Dafydd, but Dafydd himself died with illegitimate and underage issue in 1246 and was eventually succeeded by his nephew, Gruffudd's son, [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd]].

=== Historical assessment ===
Llywelyn dominated Wales for more than 40 years and was one of only two Welsh rulers to be called "the Great", the other being his ancestor Rhodri the Great ([[Rhodri Mawr]]). The first person to give Llywelyn the title "the Great" seems to have been his near contemporary, the English chronicler [[Matthew Paris]].<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Matthew Paris |first=Matthew |last=Paris |title=Chronica Majora |editor=H. R. Luard |year=1880 |volume=5 |location=London |page=718}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Quote from [[Rolls Series]]{{sfn|Carr|1995}}|group=ll}}

[[John Edward Lloyd]] gave the following assessment of Llywelyn:
<blockquote>"Among the chieftains who battled against the Anglo-Norman power his place will always be high if not indeed the highest of all, for no man ever made better or more judicious use of the native force of the Welsh people for adequate national ends; his patriotic statesmanship will always entitle him to wear the proud style of Llywelyn the Great".{{sfn|Lloyd|1911|p=693}}</blockquote>

David Moore gives a different view:
<blockquote>"When Llywelyn died in 1240, his ''principatus'' of Wales rested on shaky foundations. Although he had dominated Wales, exacted unprecedented submissions and raised the status of the Prince of Gwynedd to new heights, his three major ambitions – a permanent hegemony, its recognition by the king, and its inheritance in its entirety by his heir – remained unfulfilled. His supremacy, like that of [[Gruffudd ap Llywelyn]], had been merely personal in nature, and there was no institutional framework to maintain it either during his lifetime or after his death."{{sfn|Moore|2005|p=126}}</blockquote>

=== Children ===
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2023}}

Llywelyn married [[Joan, Lady of Wales|Joan]], natural daughter of [[John, King of England]], in 1205. Llywelyn and Joan had three identified children in the records, but in all probability had more, as Llywelyn's children were fully recognized during his marriage to Joan whilst his father-in-law, King John, was alive. Little is known of Llywelyn's mistress, Tangwystl Goch. His union with her was not recognised by the church. She was the daughter of Llywarch "Goch."<ref name=DWB/>{{sfn|Turvey|2010|pages=83, 86, 89–91}}<ref name=Siwan>{{cite DWB|id=s12-JOAN-TYW-1237|title=JOAN (SIWAN) (died 1237), princess and diplomat}}</ref> After Joan's death, Llywelyn took Eva the daughter of [[Fulk FitzWarin]] as his wife. As well as children from his marriage to Joan, he also had children out of wedlock to a Welsh concubine.<ref name=Iorwerth/> The following are recorded in contemporary or near-contemporary records:

'''Children by Joan:'''<ref name=DWB/>{{sfn|Turvey|2010|pages=86, 90}}<ref name=Siwan/>
* [[Dafydd ap Llywelyn]] (c. 1212–1246) married [[Isabella de Braose]];
* [[Gwladus Ddu]] (1206–1251);{{sfn|Turvey|2010|page=86}}{{#tag:ref|She married (1) [[Reginald de Braose]] and (2) [[Ralph de Mortimer]],{{sfn|Turvey|2010|page=86}} with whom she had 3 sons including [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Wigmore]], and a daughter.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mortimer.co.uk/family/outlinelineage.pdf |website=mortimer.co.uk |title=The Medieval Mortimer Family |author=Ian Mortimer |pages=15–16}}</ref>|group=ll}}
* [[Elen ferch Llywelyn]] (1207–1253), married (1) [[John of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon]] and (2) Robert II de Quincy;
* Susanna ferch Llywelyn (died after November 1228);<ref name=Siwan/>{{#tag:ref| King [[Henry III of England]] granted the upbringing of "L. princeps Norwallie et Johanna uxor sua et... soror nostra Susannam filiam suam" to "Nicholao de Verdun et Clementie uxori sue" by order dated 24 November 1228. Her birth date is estimated on the assumption that Susanna was under marriageable age, but older than an infant, at the time. It has been suggested that this Clemence, wife of [[Nicholas of Verdun]] was her maternal grandmother and that Susanna was the daughter of Llywelyn who married [[Máel Coluim II, Earl of Fife]] in 1230, and was the mother of his children, including [[Colban, Earl of Fife]];{{sfn|Hurlock|2009}}|group=ll}}
* Marared (Margaret) ferch Llywelyn (died after 1268), married [[John de Braose]] in 1219,{{sfn|Williams|1860|p=305}}<ref name=Siwan/> and had issue.<ref>{{cite DWB|id=s-BRAO-SE0-1066|title=BRAOSE BREOS, BRAUSE, BRIOUSE, BREWES, etc.) family.}}</ref> Secondly (c. 1232) [[Walter de Clifford (died 1263)|Walter III de Clifford]];<ref name=DWB/>
* Elen (the younger) ferch Llywelyn, [[Earl of Mar|Countess of Mar]], possibly identical with Susanna (born before 1230; died after 16 February 1295).{{sfn|Hurlock|2009|pp=352–355}}{{#tag:ref|She married firstly [[Máel Coluim II, Earl of Fife]],{{sfn|Hurlock|2009|pp=352–355}} son of [[Duncan Macduff of Fife]] and wife [[Alice Corbet]], and secondly (after 1266) [[Domhnall I, Earl of Mar]] (son of [[Uilleam, Earl of Mar|William, Earl of Mar]] and first wife Elizabeth Comyn of Buchan).|group=ll}}{{#tag:ref|Elen and Domhall's daughter, [[Isabella of Mar]], married [[Robert the Bruce]] and had one child by him, [[Marjorie Bruce]], who was the mother of the first [[House of Stuart|Stewart monarch]], [[Robert II of Scotland]]. There is, however, a genealogical problem as the Elen who was widowed in 1266 seems to have been too young to be the same woman who married Máel Coluim II in 1230. Her older children with Domhall came of age in the 1290s. If they were the same person, this would have placed her childbearing years way past her 50s. As a solution, it has been later claimed that she was the daughter of Dafydd ap Llywelyn instead of Llywelyn himself. Nevertheless, this is not corroborated by her wedding date of 1230. Alternatively, British medievalist [[Kathryn Hurlock]] proposes that Susanna was the daughter Llywelyn who married Máel Coluim II, and that she predeceased him, which would make his widow Elen an entirely different person, unrelated to Llywelyn the Great and his family.{{sfn|Hurlock|2009}}|group=ll}}

'''Children by Tangwystl Goch''',{{sfn|Turvey|2010|page=83}} '''(died c. 1198):'''{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
* [[Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth]], became a hostage of King John;{{sfn|Turvey|2010|pages=83, 85}}{{#tag:ref|(c. 1196–1244) He was Llywelyn's eldest son. He married Senena, daughter of [[Caradoc ap Thomas]] of [[Anglesey]]. Their sons included [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd]], who for a period occupied a position in Wales comparable to that of his grandfather, and [[Dafydd ap Gruffudd]] who ruled Gwynedd briefly after his brother's death.{{sfn|Turvey|2010|pages=99-105}}|group=ll}}
* Gwenllian, married William [[de Lacy]], son of [[Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath]].<ref name=DWB/>{{sfn|Turvey|2010|pages=83, 86}}<ref>{{cite DWB|id=s-LACY-EWI-1094|title=LACY (DE) – lords of Ewyas, Weobley and Ludlow.}}</ref>

'''Children whose parentage is uncertain:'''{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
* [[Angharad ferch Llywelyn]] (c. 1212–1256), probable daughter by Joan; married [[Maelgwn Fychan]];{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
* [[Tegwared y Bais Wen]] ap Llywelyn (c. 1215), a son by a woman named Crysten in some sources, a possible twin of Angharad.<ref>{{cite book |title=Welsh Genealogies, A.D. 300–1400 |last=Bartrum |first=Peter C. |author-link=Peter Bartrum |publisher=University of Wales Press |year=1974}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Mosley |first=Charles |title=Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th ed., 3 vol. |year=2003 |publisher=Genealogical books |location=Delaware |page=4183}}</ref>