Welsh peers

"See also Welsh Gentry Family Seats"

This is an index of Welsh peers whose primary peerage, life peerage, and baronetcy titles includes a Welsh place-name origin or its territorial qualification is within the Historic counties of Wales.

Welsh-titled peers hold their titles from a variety of sources. After Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last Welsh Prince of Wales, was killed during the Edwardian Conquest in 1282, the Principality of Wales was divided into English-style counties. Many of the former native titles were abolished, with some of the native Welsh lords given English titles in exchange for their loyalty. However, Welsh Law remained in force in the principality for civil cases, including for inheritance.

With the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542 Wales was formally annexed by England with the full implementation of English Common Law for civil cases. Both native Welsh and Marcher lordships were fully incorporated into the English Peerage. Eventually, succeeding peerage divisions emerged. Currently, Wales does not form a separate peerage but is incorporated into the English, Great Britain, and finally the United Kingdom peerages. However, in 1793 the title Earl of the Town and County of Carnarvon in the Principality of Wales was created, the only mention of the "Principality of Wales" in a title. [See Earl of Carnarvon] [Compleat title is "Earl of the Town and County of Carnarvon"]

Some lords, like the Williams-Wynn Baronets, the Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, and the Marquess of Anglesey, make their principal seat within Wales, while others, such as the Marquess of Abergavenny outside of Wales.

Since its founding, leading "Plaid Cymru" members such as Saunders Lewis, D.J. Davies, and Lewis Valentine advocated that an independent Wales would be better served by a Welsh constitutional monarchy, one which would engender the affection and allegiance of the Welsh people and legitimize Welsh sovereignty.Jobbins, Siôn T., "Why Not a Welsh Royal Family?" Published in Cambria Magazine, January, 2008] An hereditary constitutional monarch would, they argued, embody and personify Welsh national identity above party politics, while political parties formed governments in a parliamentary system similar to those of Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, or Spain.

"Plaid" socialist and economist D.J. Davies wrote an artical in "Y Faner" in 1953, and later published in English in the 1958 book "Towards Welsh Freedom", in which he advocated for the elevation of a Welsh gentry family as the Royal Family of Wales. ["Wales Must Have A Monarchy", published in Welsh in the journal "Y Faner" 1953, and in English in the book "Towards Welsh Freedom" in 1958] Among the criteria for consideration, argued Davies, was that the family had to have a history of contributing to Welsh life and reside in Wales.

Through primogeniture, Sir David Williams-Wynn, 11th Baronet, may be heir to the Aberffraw legacy and claim as princes of Wales, and may be known as " Dafydd III of Wales ". [ D.J. Davies wrote of the Rhys/Rice family of Dinefwr, perhaps unaware of the Williams-Wynn family and claims as decendants of the Wynn family.] [Conversly, he may be known as "Dafydd IV of Wales" if the 12th century usurption of Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd were considered part of the line of rulers.]

Titles as rendered in the Welsh language

Marquessate titles of Wales

Barony titles of Wales

Baronetcy titles of Wales

A baronet (traditional abbreviation Bart, modern abbreviation Bt) or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess (abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown known as a baronetcy.

The name baronet is a diminutive of the peerage title baron. The rank of a baronet is between that of a baron and a knight; it has never entitled the bearer to a seat in the House of Lords, but it is hereditary.

References