Angharad ferch Meurig (fl. c. 875 CE) was a 9th-century Welsh noblewoman. She was the wife of

Rhodri the Great Rhodri ap Merfyn, commonly known as , was a Welsh king whose legacy has impacted the history of Wales. Rhodri rose to power during a tumultuous era, where the fate of Welsh kingdoms was often determined by the power of their leaders. Early life ...

Gwynedd Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...

, and was the mother of Anarawd (Rhodri's successor),

Cadell ap Rhodri Cadell ap Rhodri (854–909) was King of Seisyllwg, a minor kingdom in southwestern Wales, from about 872 until his death. The son of Rhodri Mawr, King of Gwynedd, Cadell was in turn the father of Hywel Dda, who eventually came to rule most o ...

, and Merfyn.

Life

Angharad was the daughter of Meurig ap Dyfnwallon of the

Kingdom of Ceredigion The Kingdom of Ceredigion was one of several Welsh people, Welsh kingdoms that emerged in sub-Roman Britain, post-Roman Britain in the mid-5th century. Cardigan Bay to the west and the surrounding hilly geography made it difficult for foreign ...

, who was evidently the King of Seisyllwg in southwestern Wales. She was a descendant of

Cunedda Cunedda ap Edern, also called Cunedda ''Wledig'' (reigned – c. 460), was an important early Welsh people, Welsh leader, and the progenitor of the royal dynasty of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd, one of the very oldest of Western Europe. Nam ...

through his son, Ceredig ap Cunedda of Ceredigion through her paternal line. She was married to

Rhodri Mawr Rhodri ap Merfyn, commonly known as , was a Welsh king whose legacy has impacted the history of Wales. Rhodri rose to power during a tumultuous era, where the fate of Welsh kingdoms was often determined by the power of their leaders. Early life ...

of Gwynedd, (d. 878) son of Merfyn Frych, who held power over much of Wales. She had at least three sons, Anarawd, Cadell and Merfyn, although Rhodri is recorded in having six sons in some sources. She may have had a daughter called Nest. Her brother Gwgon ap Meurig succeeded their father to the throne of Seisyllwg, but he drowned without an heir in either 871 or 872, crossing the River Llychwr in Gower while fighting "black pagans" interpreted to mean Viking invaders. Subsequently, Angharad and Rhodri are considered to have become caretakers of his kingdom through her blood rights. Rhodri had no standing to take the kingship himself, but Angharad's family connection allowed him to install their second son, Cadell (d. 910), as king. Their first son, Anarawd, later succeeded Rhodri in Gwynedd. Their third son, Merfyn, is sometimes said to have been installed as King of Powys. Through her son Cadell, Angharad became the grandmother of Hywell ap Cadell, more commonly known as

Hywel Dda Hywel ap Cadell, commonly known as Hywel Dda, which translates to Howel the Good in English, was a Welsh king who ruled the southern Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth and eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllw ...

, king of

Deheubarth Deheubarth (; , thus 'the South') was a regional name for the Welsh kingdoms, realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under ...

(originally

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

, Seisyllwg and

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales, covering the modern counties Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It is mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed w ...

). He later ruled over most of

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, and was responsible for the codification of traditional Welsh laws known as the

Laws of Hywel Dda ''Cyfraith Hywel'' (; ''Laws of Hywel''), also known as ''Welsh law'' (), was the system of law practised in medieval Wales before its conquest of Wales by Edward I, final conquest by England. Subsequently, the Welsh law's criminal codes were s ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meurig, Angharad ferch Year of birth missing Year of death missing Welsh princesses 9th-century Welsh people 9th-century Welsh women 9th-century births 9th-century women regents 9th-century regents Daughters of kings