#OTD in 1267 the Treaty of Montgomery was ratified between Henry III and Prince Llywelyn the Last of Wales. The treaty was Llywelyn’s greatest achievement: he became the first and only ‘native’ Prince of Wales/Princeps Wallie to be formally recognised by a King of England. However, contrary to popular belief, it did not make him the ruler of an independent state.
There are sixteen clauses to the treaty. The key clause is number 13. Quote:
“For the principality, lands, homages and concessions the same prince and his successors are bound to perform and do to the lord king and his successors the fealty, homage and accustomed and due service that he or his ancestors were accustomed and bound to do and perform to the kings of England.”
Thus, Llywelyn bound himself and his heirs as perpetual vassals of the English crown. The key advantage, from his perspective, was that in future all the other Welsh rulers would do homage and fealty to him, rather than the King of England. Llywelyn in turn did homage to the king, his overlord.
Furthermore, Llywelyn agreed to pay a mortgage of 25,000 marks (about £18,000) for his title, to be paid in annual instalments. In the event, he could not meet this or his other financial obligations. His administration was unpopular and oppressive, and a string of military defeats ended in his death, in December 1282, assassinated by his Mortimer cousins. Six months later Gwynedd was conquered by the armies of Edward I.
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