Lord Rhys won major victories but never removed every Norman foothold from South Wales. His death in 1197 released a succession struggle among his sons and rapidly weakened the unity he had imposed on Deheubarth. At Pencader in 1198, Geoffrey FitzPeter's English army crushed a Welsh force that included men from Gwynedd and killed several princes in the rout. The defeat brought a resurgence of royal power in southwest Wales only a year after Lord Rhys's death. The episode shows how surviving frontier bases and dynastic fragmentation could reverse Welsh gains with startling speed.
Notable Point · 14:31-15:11
Pencader and the recovery of royal power
Dynastic division after Lord Rhys's death culminated in a crushing English victory at Pencader and a resurgence of royal power in southwest Wales.