List of rulers of Gwynedd

This is a list of the rulers of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Many of them were also acclaimed "King of the Britons" or "Prince of Wales".

List of kings or princes of Gwynedd

House of Cunedda

• Cunedda (Cunedda the Imperator) (c. 450 – c. 460).
• Einion Yrth ap Cunedda (Einion the Impetuous) (c. 470 – c. 480).
  • Owain Danwyn (Owain Whitetooth) ap Einion (Rhos; late 5th century).
  • Cuneglasus (Rhos) and Saint Einion (Llŷn) ap Owain (late 5th and early 6th centuries).
• Cadwallon Lawhir ap Einion (Cadwallon Long Hand) (c. 500 – c. 534).
• Maelgwn Gwynedd (c. 520 – c. 547).
• Rhun Hir ap Maelgwn (Rhun the Tall) (c. 547 – c. 580).
• Beli ap Rhun (c. 580 – c. 599).
• Iago ap Beli (c. 599 – c. 616).
• Cadfan ap Iago (c. 616 – c. 625).
• Cadwallon ap Cadfan (c. 625 – 634).
• Cadafael, King of Gwynedd (Cadfael the Battle-Shirker) (634 – c. 655).
• Cadwaladr (Cadwallader the Blessed) (c. 655 – c. 682).
• Idwal Iwrch (Idwal the Roebuck) (c. 682 – c. 720).
• Rhodri Molwynog (Rhodri the Bald and Grey) (c. 720 – c. 754)
• Caradog ap Meirion (c. 754 – c. 798).
• Cynan Dindaethwy (c. 798 – c. 816).
• Hywel ap Caradog (c. 816 – c. 825).

With Hywel's death, all male descendants of Maelgwn Gwynedd have expired. Merfyn the Freckled succeeds through his mother Esyllt, eldest daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy and niece of Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog.

House of Manaw

• Merfyn Frych (825–844).
• Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great) (844–878).

House of Aberffraw

The warfare among the sons of Rhodri meant that the descendants of Anarawd became considered a separate house – called the House of Aberffraw from their principal seat – from the junior branches in Deheubarth and elsewhere:

• Anarawd ap Rhodri (878–916) (establishes the Aberffraw dynasty, the senior branch of descendants from Rhodri Mawr).
• Idwal Foel ab Anarawd (Idwal the Bald) (916–942).
• Hywel Dda (Howell the Good) (942–950) (descended from the second son of Rhodri Mawr who ruled in Deheubarth, usurps Gwynedd from the Aberffraw line).
• Iago ab Idwal (950–979).
• Ieuaf ab Idwal (950–969).
• Hywel ap Ieuaf (979–985).
• Cadwallon ab Ieuaf (985–986).

House of Dinefwr

• Maredudd ab Owain (986–999) House of Dinefwr seizes Gwynedd.

House of Aberffraw

• Cynan ap Hywel (999–1005) Returns to the House of Aberffraw briefly.

Usurper

• Aeddan ap Blegywryd (1005–1018) (minor commote lord usurps Gwynedd from the Aberffraw dynasty).

House of Rhuddlan

• Llywelyn ap Seisyll (1018–1023) (Rhuddlan dynasty in lower Gwynedd usurps from Aeddan ap Blegywryd).

House of Aberffraw

• Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig (1023–1039) (Aberffraw dynasty returns).

Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig r. 1023–1039

Cynan ab Iago d. 1060

Gruffydd ap Cynan 1055-1081-1137

Owain Gwynedd 1100-1137-1170

Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd r. 1170

Iorwerth Drwyndwn 1145–1174

Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd Prince 1170–1195

Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd Prince 1170–1173

Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd Prince 1170–1195

Llywelyn the Great 1173-1195-1240

House of Rhuddlan

• Gruffudd ap Llywelyn (1039–1063) (Llywelyn's son Gruffydd usurps from Aberffraw dynasty).

House of Mathrafal

• Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (1063–1075) and Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn (1063–1070) [co-rulers] (Mathrafal dynasty of Powys "receives" Gwynedd from the English King).
• Trahaearn ap Caradog (1075–1081).

House of Aberffraw

• Gruffudd ap Cynan (1081–1137) (House of Aberffraw returns).
• Owain Gwynedd (1137–1170).
• Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd r. 1170; killed by his younger brother Dafydd ab Owain in a conspiracy hatched by his stepmother Cristin, dowager princess of Gwynedd, and her sons Dafydd and Rhodri ab Owain.
• Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd (the Usurper) (1170–1195), displaced elder brother Hywel ap Owain Gwynedd, but was himself displaced from Upper Gwynedd c. 1173 ruling only lower Gwynedd until displaced by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth in 1198. England recognized Dafydd as Prince of Gwynedd, though Welsh jurists did not.
  • Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd (1175–1194, 1194–1195), Ruling upper Gwynedd and Ynys Mon until 1194 and then Ynys Mon solely from 1194–1195 until he was ousted by the sons of his brother Cynan.
  • Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd (1170–1173), ruling Ynys Mon and supporter of his elder brother Hywel ap Owain's claim as Prince. After Hywel's death, Maelgwn was able to retain Ynys Mon from Dafydd the Usurper.

Princes of Wales

• Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) (1195–1240), first Prince of Wales.
• Dafydd ap Llywelyn (1240–1246).
• Owain Goch ap Gruffydd (Owain the Red) (1246–1255).
• Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last) (1246–1282).
• Dafydd ap Gruffydd (1282–1283), pretender.

Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) 1173-1195-1240

Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth 1200–1244

Dafydd ap Llywelyn 1215-1240-1246

Owain Goch ap Gruffydd d. 1282

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd 1223-1246-1282

Dafydd ap Gruffydd 1238-1282-1283

Rhodri ap Gruffudd 1230–1315

Gwenllian of Wales 1282–1337

Llywelyn ap Dafydd 1267-1283-1287

Owain ap Dafydd 1265-1287-1325

Tomas ap Rhodri 1300-1325-1363

Owain Lawgoch 1330–1378

Pretenders

• Madog ap Llywelyn (1294–1295) (not crowned but claimed the title).
• Owain Lawgoch (Owain Redhand) ap Tomas ap Rhodri (1372–1378), great-nephew of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, in exile but claimed the title.

See also

• List of Princes of Wales
• Family tree of Welsh monarchs
• List of rulers of Wales
• House of Gwynedd
• House of Aberffraw
• House of Dinefwr
• House of Mathrafal

Sources

• Bartrum, Peter (1993). A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend Up to about A.D. 1000. National Library of Wales. ISBN 0907158730.