Editing Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (section)

== Early reign ==
=== Gwynedd ===
[[File:Gwynedd 1247 Map.jpg|thumb|[[North Wales]] division 1247.<ref name=Turvey99/>{{refn|Division of [[Kingdom of Gwynedd]] in 1247 following the succession of the brothers [[Owain Goch ap Gruffudd]] (whose lands are shown in dark green) and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (light green). The [[commote]] of Cymydmaen (gold) was granted to [[Dafydd ap Gruffudd]] by Owain when he reached majority in 1252 (Source: J. Beverley Smith)|group=note}}]]

Llywelyn and Owain came to terms with King Henry III and in 1247 signed the Treaty of Woodstock at [[Woodstock Palace]].<ref>Davies, John; ''History of Wales'', p. 140</ref> The terms they were forced to accept restricted them to the west of [[Conwy]] ([[Gwynedd Uwch Conwy]]) around [[Snowdonia]] and [[Anglesey]], which was divided between them. The other half of [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]] east of Conwy known as the [[Perfeddwlad]] was taken over by King Henry.<ref name=Turvey99/>

When [[Dafydd ap Gruffydd]] came of age, King Henry accepted his [[homage (feudal)|homage]] and announced his intention to give him part of the already reduced Gwynedd. Llywelyn refused to accept this and Owain and Dafydd formed an alliance against him. This led to the [[Battle of Bryn Derwin]] in June 1255. Llywelyn defeated Owain and Dafydd and captured them, thereby becoming the sole ruler of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy. Llywelyn now looked to expand his area of control. The population of [[Gwynedd Is Conwy]] resented English rule. This area, also known as "Perfeddwlad" (meaning "middle land") had been given by King Henry to his son [[Edward I of England|Edward]] and during the summer of 1256, he visited the area but failed to deal with grievances against the rule of his officers. An appeal was made to Llywelyn, who, that November, crossed the River Conwy with an army, accompanied by his brother, Dafydd, whom he had released from prison. By early December, Llywelyn controlled all of Gwynedd Is Conwy, apart from the royal castle at [[Dyserth]], as a reward for his support and dispossessing his brother-in-law, Rhys Fychan, who supported the king. An English army led by [[Stephen Bauzan]] invaded to try to restore Rhys Fychan but was decisively defeated by Welsh forces at the [[Battle of Cadfan]] in June 1257, with Rhys having previously slipped away to make his peace with Llywelyn.<ref>Lloyd, J. E.; ''A history of Wales'', pp. 720–721</ref>{{sfn|Turvey|2010|pages=99–100}}

=== All of Wales ===
During 1257, Llywelyn aggressively pursued his interests and gained control of lands in [[Gwrtheyrnion]], driving out his cousin, the Anglo-Norman, Roger Mortimer. Then to [[Powys]], which affected his fellow [[Welsh people|Welshman]], [[Gwenwynwyn]], and [[Deheubarth]] in [[South Wales]], helping his kin against Norman control going as far as the [[Bristol Channel]], leaving a trail of destruction during the time of [[Lent]]. Despite liberating his fellow Welsh folk, some would return to siding with the English upon his departure. The English retaliated by mobilising a force from [[Scotland]] to [[Deganwy]] in Wales but did not cross into Conwy, which was officially Llywelyn's Welsh territory. Henry III waited for an Irish naval force to attack on land from the west to corner Llywelyn, however, his force never arrived. The acts of aggression were followed by a peace truce for 1258, of which the [[Marcher Lords]], did not completely abide by.{{sfn|Tout|1893|pages=14–15}}

The leader of Deheubarth, Rhys Fychan now accepted Llywelyn as overlord, but this caused problems for Llywelyn, as Rhys's lands had already been given to Maredudd. Llywelyn restored his lands to Rhys, but the king's envoys approached Maredudd and offered him Rhys's lands if he would change sides. Maredudd paid homage to Henry in late 1257. After the betrayal, in 1259, Llywelyn jailed Maredudd until [[Christmas]] in [[Criccieth Castle]]. Maredudd was released only for him to surrender a son as hostage, it was then [[House of Dinefwr|Dinefwr]] became a vassal kingdom of Gwynedd.{{sfn|Turvey|2010|page=100}}{{sfn|Tout|1893|page=15}}

In early 1258, Llywelyn was using the title [[Prince of Wales]],<ref name=Pierce/> first used in an agreement between Llywelyn and his supporters and the [[Scotland|Scottish]] nobility associated with the [[Clan Cumming|Comyn]] family. The English Crown refused to recognise this title however,<ref>Moore, D.; ''The Welsh Wars of Independence'', Stroud 2005, p. 135</ref> and, in 1263, Llywelyn's brother, Dafydd was hostile against the Prince and submitted himself to King Henry.<ref name=DafIII>{{cite DWB|id=s-DAFY-APG-1283|title=Dafydd (David) ap Gruffudd (died 1283), prince of Gwynedd}}</ref>

Then in January 1260, Llywelyn pursued his interests internally by dislodging Roger Mortimer of [[Buellt]]. This would be an act of war which would be followed by an English decree which was summoned in [[Oxford]] on 1 August. Armies assembled at [[Shrewsbury]] and [[Chester]] with the sole purpose of removing Llywelyn from power. However, the English could not come to an agreement in government over the matter, and a truce was enacted again for a further 2 years. After 2 years the English continued castle building which caused a revolt from the Welsh, who in turn requested and were assisted by Llywelyn in defending their lands in [[Maelienydd]]. After, Llywelyn continued his expansion into South Wales to the [[Lordship of Brecknock|Lordship of Brecon]], where he received fealty from the Welsh who too ousted their Anglo-Norman Marcher Lord Mortimer. This success brought him to the attention of the Montfort family, which would start a new era for Gwynedd and Llywelyn. The change in territory forced Edward I to return to Wales for the first time since 1254.{{sfn|Tout|1893|pages=15–16}}

On 12 December 1263, in the [[commote]] of Ystumanner, [[Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn]] ([[House of Mathrafal|Mathrafal]], [[Powys Wenwynwyn]]) did homage and swore [[fealty]] to Llywelyn. In return he was made a vassal lord and the lands taken from him by Llywelyn about six years earlier were restored to him.<ref name=Pierce/><ref name="Llywelyn ap Gruffydd: Prince of Wales">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=J. Beverley |title=Llywelyn ap Gruffydd: Prince of Wales |date=2014 |publisher=University of Wales Press}}</ref>