Llywelyn the Last Killed: Wales's Last Native Prince
Llywelyn rode with just eighteen men. His main army waited miles away. Near Builth Wells, English soldiers spotted him — some say he'd separated to meet supporters, others that he was lured into a trap. A spear through the body. They didn't know who they'd killed until they removed his helmet. His head went to London, displayed at the Tower wearing a crown of ivy — mockery of a Welsh prophecy that said a prince would wear ivy when crowned in London. His brother Dafydd tried to continue the fight. Lasted six months. After 1283, Wales had no native prince for 700 years. Edward I built Caernarfon Castle on the ruins of Llywelyn's court.
December 11, 1282
744 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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