King Henry III

King Henry III of England ruled from 1216 to 1272, a period when the independent Welsh principalities remained largely outside of direct English control. Henry sought to exert greater Plantagenet royal authority over Wales, but his campaigns met with limited success compared to later efforts by Edward I.

In 1229, Henry led a military invasion into southern Wales, aiming to subdue Prince Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd. Llywelyn was the most powerful Welsh ruler, controlling much of North Wales. Henry’s forces drove into Llywelyn’s territories in the southeast, reaching as far as the River Conwy in northern Wales. However, supply issues forced Henry to agree to a peace treaty that year, the Treaty of Middle. The treaty required Llywelyn to pay reparations but allowed him to keep control of Welsh lands.

When not launching invasions, Henry III adopted defensive strategies along the Welsh borders, constructing several castles to protect against raids. These included Grosmont, Skenfrith and Whitecastle in the 1220s. He also granted charters to English border towns like Chepstow and Monmouth to promote economic ties into Wales.

Appointing loyal Marcher lords to border regions was another of Henry’s policies. These Norman lords served as a buffer force against the Welsh. However, they also often acted independently of royal authority.

Henry managed to conquer some northern districts of Wales near the English borders, including the Perfeddwlad territories. But the majority remained firmly under the sway of Llywelyn the Great and other Welsh princes, who consolidated their internal power.

Henry’s campaigns in Wales proved financially draining and were met with political grievances from English barons. This inhibited more forceful actions against the Welsh during his reign. While he projected some English influence, Wales remained resistant to major invasion. It would take Edward I’s massive campaigns to conquer the country decades later.

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