Wales

[jgs]

Has Wales ever been a unified independent nation?

[Quizmonster]

Here's an extract from the 'Encyclopedia of Britain'...

"Wales became a political entity under Llewelyn ap Iorwerth in the early 13th century, but Welsh independence came to an end later in that century with the campaigns of Edward I"

It would seem that the answer to your question, therefore, is: "Yes...for a little while!"

[Octavius]

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Gruffudd (c.1228�1282) was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England (some would say he was the penultimate, but in effect he was the last ruler). In Welsh, he is remembered as Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf (Llywelyn, Our Last Leader).

He was one of the four sons of Gruffydd, the illegitimate son of Llywelyn the Great. Having fought off the opposition of his uncles and of his eldest brother, he laid claim to the principality of Gwynedd in 1258, and took the title Prince of Wales, which was then virtually a new concept. He was recognised as such by Henry III of England in the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267. However, Llywelyn's territorial ambitions gradually made him unpopular with some of the other Welsh leaders, particularly the princes of south Wales. With the loss of Llywelyn, Welsh morale and the will to resist diminished, and Dafydd, having declared himself Llywelyn's successor, was forced to flee into the mountains. He was betrayed, captured and executed by Edward I.

After the final defeat of 1283 the Kingdom of Gwynedd was stripped of all insignia, relics and regalia of statehood.

I think you could only consider a unified Wales in the sense that there was only one 'prince' left.

[jgs]

I thought it had for a short time. It's interesting that such patriotic fervour as exists today towards Wales stems from only such a short time of unified nationhood 800 or so years ago.

Anyway, thanks for the help...!

[MangoPete]

NO it hasn't.
Though Owain had a go in 14th century, depends what you mean by Wales
Not the Wales we know today anyway.
Owain was actually from North Wales and fought for Rcihard. Owain was a solicitor in London for many years.
He only started against the king of England at 42/43 when Eddie arrived Richards mates were in the poo. Owain had a big posh house in Nth Wales and he and his neighbor fell out over the land and he lost. He then kissed serious ass but only for a few years, though he did threaten the throne with his french mates. Logistics meant they had to give up before his army was crushed. They never got him and apparently he lived the rest of his life near Hereford, then part of Wales.
this story cam from SAT fagans the Welsh museum of Life and was told to me by a member of the Knights of Owain Glyn Dwr.
Before this Wales was a series of small kingdoms, but who knows in the past who ran it. Arthur had acouple of his camelots in Wales and you wouldn't want to mess with him.
We only have a potted history of our Isles.