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Gruffudd was not born to the main Royal family of Wales but was the son of Llywelyn ap Seisyllt, the ruler of Gwynedd, and his wife Angharad. Llywelyn ap Seisyllt, who died about , had two children with Angharad, a daughter whose name is not known and Gruffudd born about Angharad remarried and had two more sons, Bleddyn and Rhiwallon, two half-brothers for Gruffudd and his sister.

Life.

Gruffudd established himself as the King of Gwynedd in and fought his first battle at Rhyd y groes on the Severn in that year near the present-day Welshpool. He was victorious, crushing the English army that had set out to invade North East Wales. In , he turned his attention to Deheubarth and at the battle of Pencadair he defeated Hywel ab Edwin.

However, Hywel managed to escape but his wife was captured and taken by Gruffudd as his own wife. This time Hywel was killed and Gruffudd gained a decisive victory. Almost a decade went by when Gruffudd was establishing his control over Deheubarth and fighting the Vikings who were attacking from their base in Ireland. Stormy weather blew the invading fleet from Ireland onto the rocks of the Welsh coast and this liberated Gruffudd to attack the England — Wales border area and in , thirteen years to the day after his victory at Rhyd y groes, he marched his army through Shropshire and attacked Hereford and its surrounding area.

This naval force was used to attack his enemies, as supply ships for his army, and to trade with Ireland and other European countries. Gruffudd formed an alliance with Elfgar of Mercia, brokered by Rhys Sais and having secured his eastern border he decided to turn his attention to the Kingdoms of Morgannwg and Gwent, which were ruled by Gruffudd ap Rhydderch.

But he failed to subdue Gruffudd and his men and a peace deal was eventually signed at Billingsley, from which Gruffudd gained areas of land near the border that had previously belonged to the English. Then in , Leofgar, the Bishop of Hereford gathered together a large army and attacked Wales up the Wye valley with the intention of regaining the land lost in the treaty.

He had at least three children: Owain who died in , Maredudd who died in and Idwal who also died in