Joan, Lady of Wales
Encyclopedia
Joan, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon (c. 1191 – 2 February 1237
) was the wife of Llywelyn the Great
, Prince of Wales
and Gwynedd
and effective ruler of most of Wales
.
John of England
. She should not be confused with her half-sister Joan, Queen Consort of Scotland
.
Little is known about her early life. Her mother's name is known only from Joan's obituary in the Tewkesbury
Annals, where she is called "Regina Clementina" (Queen Clemence); there is no evidence that her mother was in fact of royal blood. Joan seems to have spent part of her childhood in France
, as King John had her brought to the Kingdom of England
from Normandy
in December 1203 in preparation for her wedding to prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.
Thomas Pennant, in "Tours in Wales”, Volume 2, published London, 1810, writes : “It is said that Llewelyn the Great had near this place [Trefriw] a palace; ... The church of Trefriw
was originally built by Llewelyn, for the ease of his princess, who before was obliged to go on foot to Llanrhychwyn
, a long walk among the mountains.”
between December 1203 and October 1204. She and Llywelyn had at least two children together:
Some of Llywelyn's other recorded children may also have been Joan's:
In April 1226 Joan obtained a papal decree
from Pope Honorius III
, declaring her legitimate on the basis that her parents had not been married to others at the time of her birth, but without giving her a claim to the English throne.
1230, William de Braose, who was Llywelyn's prisoner at the time, was discovered with Joan in Llywelyn's bedchamber. William de Braose was hanged on 2 May 1230, according to local folklore at Abergwyngregyn
; the place was known as 'Gwern y Grog'. A recent suggestion is that the execution might have taken place at Crogen near Bala (crogi = to hang).
Joan was placed under house arrest for twelve months after the incident. She was then, according to the Chronicle of Chester, forgiven by Llywelyn, and restored to favour. She may have given birth to a daughter early in 1231.
Joan was never called Princess of Wales
, but, in Welsh, "Lady of Wales". She died at the royal home at Abergwyngregyn
, on the north coast of Gwynedd, in 1237. Llywelyn's great grief at her death is recorded; he founded a Franciscan
friary on the seashore at Llanfaes
, opposite the royal home, in her honour. The friary was consecrated in 1240, shortly before Llywelyn died. It was destroyed in 1537 by Henry VIII of England
during the Dissolution of the Monasteries
.
Joan's stone coffin can be seen in Beaumaris parish church, Anglesey
. Above the empty coffin is a slate panel inscribed: "This plain sarcophagus, (once dignified as having contained the remains of JOAN, daughter of King JOHN, and consort of LLEWELYN ap IOWERTH, Prince of North Wales, who died in the year 1237), having been conveyed from the Friary of Llanfaes, and alas, used for many years as a horsewatering trough, was rescued from such an indignity and placed here for preseravation as well as to excite serious meditation on the transitory nature of all sublunary distinctions. By THOMAS JAMES WARREN BULKELEY, Viscount BULKELEY, Oct 1808"
13th century in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the century 1200 - 1299 to Wales and its people.-Princes of Wales:*Llywelyn the Great *Dafydd ap Llywelyn *Llywelyn the Last *Dafydd ap Gruffudd...
) was the wife of Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
, Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
and Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
and effective ruler of most 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...
.
Early life
Joan was a natural daughter of KingKing
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. She should not be confused with her half-sister Joan, Queen Consort of Scotland
Joan of England, Queen Consort of Scotland
Joan of England was Queen consort of Scotland from 1221 until 1238.Joan was the eldest legitimate daughter and third child of King John of England and Countess Isabella of Angoulême....
.
Little is known about her early life. Her mother's name is known only from Joan's obituary in the Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
Annals, where she is called "Regina Clementina" (Queen Clemence); there is no evidence that her mother was in fact of royal blood. Joan seems to have spent part of her childhood in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, as King John had her brought to the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
from Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
in December 1203 in preparation for her wedding to prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.
Thomas Pennant, in "Tours in Wales”, Volume 2, published London, 1810, writes : “It is said that Llewelyn the Great had near this place [Trefriw] a palace; ... The church of Trefriw
Trefriw
Trefriw is a village in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It lies on the river Conwy in North Wales, a few miles south of the site of the Roman fort of Canovium, sited at Caerhun. The parish population in 2001 was 924....
was originally built by Llewelyn, for the ease of his princess, who before was obliged to go on foot to Llanrhychwyn
Llanrhychwyn
LlanrhychwynConwyLlanrhychwyn is a hamlet in Conwy county borough, Wales. It lies in the Conwy valley in North Wales, less than a mile south of Trefriw, and a mile north-west of Llanrwst...
, a long walk among the mountains.”
Marriage
Joan married Llywelyn the GreatLlywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
between December 1203 and October 1204. She and Llywelyn had at least two children together:
- Elen ferch LlywelynElen ferch LlywelynElen ferch Llywelyn was the daughter of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd in north Wales by Lady Joan, daughter of King John of England....
(Helen or Ellen) (1207–1253), married (1) John the Scot, Earl of ChesterJohn de Scotia, 9th Earl of HuntingdonJohn of Scotland , Earl of Huntingdon and 7th Earl of Chester , sometimes known as "the Scot", was an Anglo-Scottish magnate, the son of David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon by his wife Matilda of Chester, daughter of Hugh de Kevelioc.John married Elen ferch Llywelyn, daughter of Llywelyn the...
and (2) Robert II de Quincy - Dafydd ap LlywelynDafydd ap LlywelynDafydd ap Llywelyn was Prince of Gwynedd from 1240 to 1246. He was for a time recognised as Prince of Wales.- Descent :...
(c. 1215-1246) married Isabella de Braose, died at AbergwyngregynAbergwyngregynAbergwyngregyn is a village of historical note in Gwynedd, a county and principal area in Wales. Under its historic name of Aber Garth Celyn it was the seat of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd....
.
Some of Llywelyn's other recorded children may also have been Joan's:
- Gwladus DduGwladus DduGwladus Ddu, , full name Gwladus ferch Llywelyn was a Welsh noblewoman who was a daughter of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd and married two Marcher lords....
(1206–1251), married (1) Reginald de BraoseReginald de BraoseReginald de Braose was one of the sons of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber and Matilda, also known as Maud de St. Valery and Lady de la Haie. Her other children included William and Giles....
and (2) Ralph de Mortimer. - Susanna, who was sent to England as a hostage in 1228.
- Angharad ferch LlywelynAngharad ferch LlywelynAngharad ferch Llywelyn was a daughter of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of Wales. The identity of her mother is uncertain; but several later genealogical sources give Llywelyn's consort Joan, Lady of Wales as her mother. She is almost absent from contemporary records, however she is mentioned in...
- Margaret, who married Sir John de Braose, the grandson of William de Braose, 4th Lord of BramberWilliam de Braose, 4th Lord of BramberWilliam de Braose, , 4th Lord of Bramber , court favourite of King John of England, at the peak of his power, was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan, Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.-Lineage:William was the most...
and had issue.
In April 1226 Joan obtained a papal decree
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
from Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
, declaring her legitimate on the basis that her parents had not been married to others at the time of her birth, but without giving her a claim to the English throne.
Adultery with William de Braose
At EasterEaster
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
1230, William de Braose, who was Llywelyn's prisoner at the time, was discovered with Joan in Llywelyn's bedchamber. William de Braose was hanged on 2 May 1230, according to local folklore at Abergwyngregyn
Abergwyngregyn
Abergwyngregyn is a village of historical note in Gwynedd, a county and principal area in Wales. Under its historic name of Aber Garth Celyn it was the seat of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd....
; the place was known as 'Gwern y Grog'. A recent suggestion is that the execution might have taken place at Crogen near Bala (crogi = to hang).
Joan was placed under house arrest for twelve months after the incident. She was then, according to the Chronicle of Chester, forgiven by Llywelyn, and restored to favour. She may have given birth to a daughter early in 1231.
Joan was never called Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
, but, in Welsh, "Lady of Wales". She died at the royal home at Abergwyngregyn
Abergwyngregyn
Abergwyngregyn is a village of historical note in Gwynedd, a county and principal area in Wales. Under its historic name of Aber Garth Celyn it was the seat of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd....
, on the north coast of Gwynedd, in 1237. Llywelyn's great grief at her death is recorded; he founded a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friary on the seashore at Llanfaes
Llanfaes
Llanfaes is a small village on the island of Anglesey, Wales, located on the shore of the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey from the north Wales coast.- History :...
, opposite the royal home, in her honour. The friary was consecrated in 1240, shortly before Llywelyn died. It was destroyed in 1537 by Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
during the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
.
Joan's stone coffin can be seen in Beaumaris parish church, Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
. Above the empty coffin is a slate panel inscribed: "This plain sarcophagus, (once dignified as having contained the remains of JOAN, daughter of King JOHN, and consort of LLEWELYN ap IOWERTH, Prince of North Wales, who died in the year 1237), having been conveyed from the Friary of Llanfaes, and alas, used for many years as a horsewatering trough, was rescued from such an indignity and placed here for preseravation as well as to excite serious meditation on the transitory nature of all sublunary distinctions. By THOMAS JAMES WARREN BULKELEY, Viscount BULKELEY, Oct 1808"
Fiction
- Joan and her affair with William de Braose is the subject of Saunders LewisSaunders LewisSaunders Lewis was a Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic, and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist and a founder of the Welsh National Party...
's WelshWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
verse play SiwanSiwan (play)Siwan is the title of a play written in the Welsh language by Saunders Lewis, first produced in 1956. The first English language translation of the play appeared in 1960....
. - Edith PargeterEdith PargeterEdith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM , also known by her nom de plume Ellis Peters, was a British author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both...
's novel The Green Branch is set in Wales and the Welsh Marches in 1228-1231, when Llewelyn ruled Gwynedd and most of the rest of Wales. - Although named Joanna, Joan is the main character of Sharon Kay PenmanSharon Kay PenmanSharon Kay Penman is an American historical novelist, published in the UK as Sharon Penman. She is best known for the Welsh Princes trilogy and the Plantagenet series. In addition, she has written four medieval mysteries, the first of which, The Queen's Man, was a finalist in 1996 for the Best...
's novel Here Be DragonsHere Be DragonsHere Be Dragons is a historical novel written by Sharon Kay Penman published in 1985. The novel is the first in a trilogy known as the Welsh Princes series set in medieval England, Wales and France that feature the Plantagenet kings...
.
Sources
- Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum in Turri Londinensi I, p. 12.
- Henry Luard. Annales Monastici 1, 1864
- Tewkesbury Annals
- Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 By Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines: 27-27, 29A-28, 29A-29, 176B-27, 254-28, 254-29