He became Prince after the death of his brother Maredudd and married Gwenllian ferch Madog, daughter of the prince of Powys.

In 1158, he met with King Henry ll to agree peace terms, but instead he was dispossessed of most of his land. A year later with Henry ll away in France, Rhys attacked Dyfed, sieged Carmarthen and captured Llandovery Castle.

In 1163, Rhys was captured and stripped of his lands again. He was later released and a small amount of his lands returned to him.
Rhys and Owain Gwynedd joined forces in 1164, leading Henry ll to invade Wales again. The Welsh army forced Henry to retreat in heavy rain and Rhys re-captured his lost lands. The retreating King burned Welsh churches and the Welsh wanted to retaliate. However, Rhys at his statesman like best refused, telling his men that Henry would incur God’s wrath by these actions.

Sadly, retribution came to Rhys, when one of his son’s Maredudd, was blinded when held hostage by the king. Maredudd Ddall (the blind), born in 1157 was still a child when blinded. Rhys burned down Cardigan Castle in return.

Another son, Hywel had fared better in an earlier encounter and had been released unharmed.

Upon his release, Maredudd became a monk at Whitland and remained there until his death in 1239.

Rhys was a generous benefactor and through a combination of statesmanship and the sword, took over the patronage of Whitland Abbey during the 1160’s. He followed this by becoming patron of Strata Florida and founding Talley Abbey and Llanyr Nunnery.

His regard for Whitland Abbey, which under his patronage had become a centre of Welsh culture, was demonstrated when he chose it as the location for his homage to King Henry ll in 1171. In this year, Henry sought peace with Rhys and in return for 300 horses and 4,000 cattle, had all the lands Rhys had taken from Norman Lords confirmed to him.

Rhys chose Whitland and Strata Florida Abbeys as royal mausoleums for his own family members.

In 1172, Rhys and Henry again met in peace at Laugharne and the king appointed the Welsh prince “Justiciar for South Wales”. They remained on good terms and never met in battle again.

Rhys held a festival of poetry and song at Cardigan in 1176 and this is regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod.

Henry ll died in 1189 and Richard l became King. Rhys no longer felt bound by his agreements with Henry. He took up arms against the Norman Lordships in Pembroke, Haverfordwest and the Gower. He also captured St.Clears, Laugharne and Llansteffan.

In 1196, he embarked on his final campaigns and captured the castles of Carmarthen, Colwyn, Radnor and Painscastle.

The great Welsh Prince Rhys, who had spent his life fighting for Welsh independence, died unexpectedly on the 28th April 1197. He is buried in St.David’s Cathedral. He died excommunicate, after an argument with Peter de Leia, Bishop of St.David’s over the theft of horses years earlier. The Bishop had his body scourged as penance before burial in the Cathedral. There is an unverified story that his body was taken on a tour of his beloved Abbeys before burial.

Dave Walsh-Gibbon
29/04/20