Treaty of Montgomery

Wales after the Treaty of Montgomery 1267      Gwynedd, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's principality      Territories conquered by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd      Territories of Llywelyn's vassals      Lordships of the Marcher barons      Lordships of the King of England

By means of the Treaty of Montgomery (29 September 1267), Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was acknowledged as Prince of Wales by the English king Henry III, the only time in history that an English ruler would recognise the right of a ruler of Gwynedd over Wales. Llywelyn's grandfather, Llywelyn the Great, had previously laid claim to be the effective prince of Wales by using the title 'prince of Aberffraw, lord of Snowdon' in the 1230s, having subdued by force and diplomacy all the other Welsh dynasties, and Llywelyn's uncle, Dafydd ap Llywelyn, is known to have claimed the title of prince of Wales during his reign (1240-46). However, Llywelyn's supremacy in the late 1260s forced recognition of his authority in Wales from an English Crown weakened by internal division.

Conditions of the treaty

Many of the conditions of the treaty had been anticipated by the Treaty of Pipton (1265) between Llywelyn and Simon de Montfort. The 1267 treaty ceded Builth to Llywelyn, along with Brecon and Gwerthrynion in mid-Wales. Llywelyn was also granted Whittington Castle in modern-day Shropshire, previously held by his grandfather in the 1220s, and received an assurance that no castle would be built at Hawarden for sixty years by Robert of Mold, thus helping to secure the north-eastern border of Wales. The treaty also allowed for the reinstatement of Llywelyn's brother, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, into Welsh society after his defection to England in the early 1260s.

Implications

Though the treaty required Llywelyn to swear homage to the king of England, it was in effect an acknowledgement of the power and authority of the prince, effectively demonstrating his independence. However, after the succession of Edward I as king of England in 1272, relations between England and Wales deteriorated, and Edward declared war on Llywelyn in 1276; the Treaty of Aberconwy of 1277 superseded the stipulations laid down at Montgomery and severely curbed Llywelyn's power.

References

• Pryce, Huw. The Acts of Welsh Rulers 1120-1283 (University of Wales Press, 2005).

See also

• History of Wales
• List of treaties

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