House of Dinefwr
Encyclopedia
The House of Dinefwr was a royal house
of Wales
and refers to the descendants of Cadell ap Rhodri
King of Seisyllwg, son of Rhodri the Great
.
With the death of Rhodri Mawr
, the kingdom of Gwynedd
passed to his eldest son Anarawd ap Rhodri
. Rhodri's second son Cadell ap Rhodri
, however, looked outside Gwynedd
's traditional borders and took possession of the Dark Ages kingdom of Dyfed
by the late 9th century, establishing his capital at the citadel of Dinefwr
. Cadell ap Rhodri's descendants are designated Dinefwr after the citadel from which they would rule Dyfed
. The Dinefwr dynasty under king Hywel Dda
would unite Dyfed
and Seisyllwg into the kingdom of Deheubarth in the early 10th century. The Dinefwr dynasty would rule in Deheubarth until their conquest by the Anglo-Normans in the 13th century. This branch would compete with House Aberffraw
for supremacy and influence in Wales
throughout the 10th, 11th, and 12th century, with Powys
variously ruled between them. Eventually, a cadet branch of Dinefwr would establish itself in Powys
by the mid 11th century, designated Mathrafal
after the castle there.
of Wales and England were female line descendants of the House of Dinefwr through their ancestor Owen Tudor
.
The FitzGerald dynasty and related families of Ireland are female line descendants of the Welsh royal family through Princess Nest ferch Rhys, daughter of Prince Rhys ap Tewdwr
of Deheubarth.
Royal House
A royal house or royal dynasty consists of at least one, but usually more monarchs who are related to one another, as well as their non-reigning descendants and spouses. Monarchs of the same realm who are not related to one another are usually deemed to belong to different houses, and each house is...
of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and refers to the descendants of Cadell ap Rhodri
Cadell ap Rhodri
Cadell ap Rhodri was the son of Rhodri Mawr . He inherited the kingdom of Seisyllwg from his mother Angharad of Seisyllwg in 878, and passed it to his son, Hywel Dda , on his death in 909. Cadell and Hywel had previously conquered Dyfed in 904/905, establishing Hywel as the king in that region...
King of Seisyllwg, son of Rhodri the Great
Rhodri the Great
Rhodri the Great was King of Gwynedd from 844 until his death. He was the first Welsh ruler to be called 'Great', and the first to rule most of present-day Wales...
.
With the death of Rhodri Mawr
Rhodri the Great
Rhodri the Great was King of Gwynedd from 844 until his death. He was the first Welsh ruler to be called 'Great', and the first to rule most of present-day Wales...
, the kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
passed to his eldest son Anarawd ap Rhodri
Anarawd ap Rhodri
Anarawd ap Rhodri was a King of Gwynedd, also referred to as "King of the Britons" by the Annales Cambriae.Anarawd's father Rhodri the Great had eventually become ruler of most of Wales, but on his death in 878 his kingdom was shared out between his sons, with Anarawd inheriting the throne of...
. Rhodri's second son Cadell ap Rhodri
Cadell ap Rhodri
Cadell ap Rhodri was the son of Rhodri Mawr . He inherited the kingdom of Seisyllwg from his mother Angharad of Seisyllwg in 878, and passed it to his son, Hywel Dda , on his death in 909. Cadell and Hywel had previously conquered Dyfed in 904/905, establishing Hywel as the king in that region...
, however, looked outside Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
's traditional borders and took possession of the Dark Ages kingdom of Dyfed
Dyfed
Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe...
by the late 9th century, establishing his capital at the citadel of Dinefwr
Dinefwr
Dinefwr was a local government district of Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was named after Dinefwr Castle which was the royal capital of the Principality of Deheubarth and one of the three principal royal courts of Wales....
. Cadell ap Rhodri's descendants are designated Dinefwr after the citadel from which they would rule Dyfed
Dyfed
Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe...
. The Dinefwr dynasty under king Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda , was the well-thought-of king of Deheubarth in south-west Wales, who eventually came to rule Wales from Prestatyn to Pembroke. As a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, through his father Cadell, Hywel was a member of the Dinefwr branch of the dynasty and is also named Hywel ap Cadell...
would unite Dyfed
Dyfed
Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe...
and Seisyllwg into the kingdom of Deheubarth in the early 10th century. The Dinefwr dynasty would rule in Deheubarth until their conquest by the Anglo-Normans in the 13th century. This branch would compete with House Aberffraw
Aberffraw
Aberffraw is a small village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey , in Wales, by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at . The UK postcode begins LL63. Access by road is by way of the A4080 and the nearest rail station is Bodorgan. In the early Middle Ages Aberffraw was the...
for supremacy and influence in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
throughout the 10th, 11th, and 12th century, with Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
variously ruled between them. Eventually, a cadet branch of Dinefwr would establish itself in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
by the mid 11th century, designated Mathrafal
Mathrafal
Mathrafal near Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales, was the seat of the Kings and Princes of Powys probably from the 9th century until its destruction in 1212 by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd.- Location :...
after the castle there.
Descendant houses
The Tudor dynastyTudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
of Wales and England were female line descendants of the House of Dinefwr through their ancestor Owen Tudor
Owen Tudor
Sir Owen Meredith Tudor was a Welsh soldier and courtier, descended from a daughter of the Welsh prince Rhys ap Gruffudd, "Lord Rhys". However, Owen Tudor is particularly remembered for his role in founding England's Tudor dynasty – including his relationship with, and probable secret marriage to,...
.
The FitzGerald dynasty and related families of Ireland are female line descendants of the Welsh royal family through Princess Nest ferch Rhys, daughter of Prince Rhys ap Tewdwr
Rhys ap Tewdwr
Rhys ap Tewdwr was a Prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great...
of Deheubarth.