The Welsh Princes: The Native Rulers of Wales, 1063-1283

The Welsh princes were one of the most important ruling elites in medieval western Europe. This volume examines their behaviour, influence and power in a period when the Welsh were struggling to maintain their independence and identity in the face of Anglo-Norman settlement. From the mid-eleventh century to the end of the thirteenth, Wales was profoundly transformed by conquest and foreign 'colonial' settlement. Massive changes took place in the political, economic, social and religious spheres and Welsh culture was significantly affected. Roger Turvey looks at this transformation, its impact on the Welsh princes and the part they themselves played in it. Turvey's survey of the various aspects of princely life, power and influence draws out the human qualities of these flesh and blood characters, and is written very much with the general reader in mind.