Welsh Princes : The Native Rulers of Wales 1063-1283

In an age of conflict, where courage and heroism on the battlefield counted for much, the Welsh Princes were more than simply warriors they were rulers, defenders of their political, social and cultural heritage, they were men of faith, patrons of the arts and of the church. They were family men who loved, married and had children. They too suffered loss and felt deeply about their lives and of the lives of those around them. `The Welsh Princes brings to life the behaviour, lifestyles, influence and power of one of the most important ruling elites in medieval western Europe. The careers of the Welsh princes throws a vivid light on the often ruthless nature of power and politics in the intensely competitive and intimate world of the native ruling elite. Roger Turvey offers an unique insight in to the life, society and attitudes of the Welsh aristocracy who are portrayed as flesh and blood characters. Strarting in the mid eleventh century and running to the end of the thirteenth century, `The Welsh Princes portrays a violent and dynamic time when the Welsh struggled to maintain their independence and identity in the face of Anglo-Norman conquest and settlement. During these two centuries of conquest and foreign 'colonial' settlement, the politics, society, economy and church within Wales were profoundly transformed and its culture significantly affected. That transformation and the part played in it by the princes, and the extent to which they were affected by it is the core of this book. Roger Turvey is the author of `Henry VII (2000) and `The Lord Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth (1997).