The Romans conquered the Celts living in Wales after AD 48, building a new town at Caerwent and a large military camp at Caerleon, both in the south. After the Romans left, Celtic Britons from England escaped the Anglo-Saxon invaders of England and joined their fellow Celts in the mountains of Wales. The Welsh, as they became known, then set up a number of independent princedoms that united in the early 1200s. Separated from England, the Welsh spoke their own language. In 1176, the first annual Eisteddfod, a festival of Welsh poetry and song, was held in Cardigan. Since 1998, Wales has had its own National Assembly in Cardiff.

Welsh unity

After the Normans invaded England in 1066, they began to conquer South Wales, building new castles at Chepstow and elsewhere. In 1094 a revolt against Norman rule broke out that gradually expelled the Normans from Wales and won back for the Welsh the lands they had lost. After 1200, the various independent princedoms were united into a single country by Llywelyn Fawr, "the Great", ruler of Gwynedd in the north until his death in 1240. The Welsh built their own stone castles, as at Dolbardan in North Wales, but often fought among themselves.

The English conquest

In 1272, Edward I came to the throne of England. He asked the Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd to pay him homage—that is, to recognize Edward as his lord. Llywelyn refused, so in 1277 Edward invaded Wales and gained the homage by force. When Llywelyn rebelled, Edward invaded Wales again in 1282 and defeated Llywelyn, who was killed later the same year.

The Prince of Wales

In 1284, the English king Edward I was staying in Caernarfon in Wales after his successful conquest of the country. His wife Eleanor gave birth there to a son, the future Edward II. In 1301, Prince Edward was created Prince of Wales, a title given ever since to the eldest son and heir of the English king. Since Edward, there have been 21 princes of Wales, up to and including the current prince, William. Every prince has as his motto the words adopted by Edward the Black Prince, son of Edward III and himself a Prince of Wales, from the King of Bohemia at the Battle of Créçy in 1346: Ich Dien, "I serve".

Owain Glyndwr

In 1401, Owain Glyndwr, a descendant of one of the last independent Welsh princes, rose in revolt against English rule. The French sent an army in 1402 to help him, and for the next 11 years Owain fought a lengthy campaign against the English forces. He set up an independent parliament at Machynlleth in central Wales, where it is believed he was crowned in 1404. Owain was driven out of his last strongholds in 1408–09 and was last sighted in 1412. Despite large rewards being offered by the English for his capture, he was never betrayed.