Wales

(anc. Britannia Secund a ). A principality in the southwest part of Great Britain. After the Roman emperor Honor i us quitted Britain, Vortigern was elected king of South Britain. He invited over the Saxons to defend his country against the Picts and Scots; but the Saxons perfidiously sent for reinforcements, consisting of Saxons, Danes, and Angles, by which they made themselves masters of South Britain. Many of the Britons retired to Wales, and defended themselves against the Saxons, in their inacce ible mountains, about 447. In this state Wales remained unconquered till Henry II. subdued South Wales in 1157; and in 1282, Edward I. entirely reduced the whole country, putting an end to its independence, by the death of Llewelyn, the last prince. The Welsh, however, were not entirely reconciled to this revolution, till the queen gave birth to a son at Caernarvon in 1284, whom Edward styled prince of Wales, which title the heir to the crown of Great Britain has borne almost ever since. For further history of Wales, see separate articles in this work.