Rhys ap Gruffudd
- 1136: His father Gruffudd ap Cynan and his mother Gwenllian died when Rhys was four years old.
- 1146: He fought alongside his brother, under the direction of his half-brother, Cadell.
- During the next 10 years the old kingdom of Deheubarth was reconstituted.
- 1155: His brother, Maredudd, died. Rhys became sole ruler of Deheubarth.
- The political situation in England was transformed by the accession of Henry II. This was an extraordinarily important event in Rhys’s life.
- 1158: Rhys had to submit to the King of England. Ceredigion and a large part of Ystrad Tywi was taken from him. Rhys also had to stop calling himself king.
- During the next seven years there were intermittent revolts and truces.
- 1164–65: The Great Uprising. While Henry II was preoccupied in England, Rhys saw his opportunity and took back his lands.
- Due to a number of favourable circumstances, he succeeded in keeping hold of these lands until the end of his life, and indeed, to add parts of Dyfed to them.
- The building of a castle in the new style was started at Dinefwr, the old 'capital', and at Cardigan.
- 1176: The famous Eisteddfod at Cardigan Castle was held under Rhys’s patronage – the first eisteddfod.
‘Having shown that he was a leader during the war, and a brave warrior, Rhys was to be equally adept at statecraft.’ – Roger Turvey, ‘The Lord Rhys: Prince of Deheubarth’ (Gomer 1997), p. 73