The Coat of Arms of the Royal House of Morgannwg (National Arms Impaled with the Shield of Morgannwg)
The first Welsh monarch to formalise the succession laws to the Welsh Crown was King Arthur I (1795-1831). By a Royal Decree in 1819, he declared that the Welsh Throne would descend by male primogeniture from his line i.e: the male children of Arthur.
This House Law would remain in place until the reign of Iago (1920 - 1950) and specifically the succession crisis 1944-1947. During this time the male line succession had dwindled, with all the female lines excluded from the succession.
Line of Succession - 1831[]
At the death of King Arthur in1831 the line of succession stood as follows
- HRH Tywysog Cystennin III Morgannwg, Edling Cymru
- HRH Pendefig Rhisiart Morgannwg
- HRH Pendefig Iestyn, Dug Y Wladfa
- HRH Pendefig Dafydd, Dug Harlech
- HRH Pendefig Iwan Harlech
Arthur's other son, Ieuan was excluded from the line of succession due to having taken up holy orders. In addition, HRH Pendefig Maelgwyn, Dug Gwent, as Arthur's brother had a claim to the line of succession under the previous laws of succession, and would have taken 6th position with his son, Eifion Marcwis Caerwent the 7th position.
Succession Crisis of 1944-47[]
With the death in 1944 of Owain, Edling Cymru during the Normandy landings there was a political crisis over the succession to the Welsh throne. Under the existing male only line of succession there were only the following men in position to inherit the crown after Iago.
- Owain, Edling Cymru (1921-1944)
- Dafydd Bren, Pendefig Cymru & 6th Dug Harlech (1906-1945)
- Xavier Bren, Pendefig Cymru & 7th Dug Harlech (1933-2002)
After 1945 the only legal heir to the throne was Pendefig Xavier, Dug Harlech and as Wales was still at war with Germany at this time and Pendefiges Marged was resident in Wales, her husband having fought in the war and her having two Welsh born sons was the focus for efforts to change the rules.
A major block to any change would come from King Iago himself. He was determined not to allow his sister to succeed to the Welsh Throne but by 1947 his hand was forced and he signed the Instrument for Change in Welsh Succession which would allow female line descent. This change allowed for pure primogeniture, meaning that the sex of the child was immaterial to the succession. The change also raised Marged's rank from Pendefiges to Tywysoges.
Line of Succession 1947 ~ Following Change to Laws of Succession[]
- HRH Y Tywysoges Morgannwg, Edling Cymru
- HRH Pendefig Arthur Morgannwg
- HRH Pendefig Christian Morgannwg
- Heinrich Wittelsbach, Prince of Bavaria & Wales
- Otto Wittelsbach, Prince of Bavaria & Wales
- Alfonso de Borbon y de Bragança, Prince of Spain, Portugal & Wales
- Pedro de Borbon y de Bragança, Prince of Spain, Portugal & Wales
- Miguel de Borbon y de Bragança, Prince of Spain, Portugal & Wales
- Elena de Borbon y de Bragança, Princess of Spain, Portugal & Wales
- Xavier Bren, Pendefig Cymru & 7th Dug Harlech
Current Line of Succession[]
During the reign of Arthur II there were further small changes to the rules of succession to the House of Oldenburg-Morgannwg around the the use of the rank of Pendefig/Pendefiges Cymru (Prince/Princess of Wales) and as such these are the revised Succession Act rules
The revised Succession Act records the following rules for the Royal House of Oldenburg-Morgannwg.
- The rank & title of Pendefig/Pendefiges Cymru (Prince/Princess of Wales) is restricted to the children and grandchildren of the monarch
- If a Great-Grandchild does not have an independent title, they will be allowed to use the courtesy title of "Lord/Lady". However, their children will not be eligible to inherit the right.
- The Royal House operates a total primogeniture, giving equal rights to females in the line of succession.
- Male line descendants lose the right to the House name of Morgannwg/Oldenburg-Morgannwg at the start of the Great-Grandchild generation in descent from a reigning monarch.
Current Succession - As of 2016[]
- HRH Owain, Edling Cymru & Twysog Morgannwg (Owain, Crown Prince of Wales & Prince of Morgannwg)
- HRH Pendefig Gruffydd of Morgannwg
- HRH Pendefiges Elenora of Morgannwg
- HRH Pendefiges Grace, Duges Amwythig
- HRH Pendefig Deiniol Amwythig
- HRH Pendefig Iestyn, Dug Senghenydd
- HRH Pendefig Rhys Oldenburg-Morgannwg of Senghenydd
- HRH Pendefiges Heledd, Tywysoges Brenhinol (Princess Royal)
- HRH Pendefig Iwan Beynon gan Cymru
- HRH Pendefig Christian, Dug Deheubarth
- HRH Y Pendefiges Catrin (HRH The Princess Catrin. Prior to her marriage she was HRH Pendefiges Catrin gan Deheubarth)
- Arglwydd Gwilym Penderyn
- Yr Arglwyddes Buddug Penderyn
- Otto Wittelsbach
- Gabriela-Anke Wittelsbach
- Carl Wittelsbach
- Charles Wittelsbach
- Pedro de Borbon y de Bragança
- Alfonso de Borbon y de Bragança
- Anna Maria de Borbon y de Bragança
- Isabella de Borbon y de Bragança
- Pepe Hernandez
- Miguel de Borbon y de Bragança
- Ferdinand de Borbon y de Bragança
- Xavi Pedro Alfonso de Borbon y de Bragança
- Cystennin Pugh
- Briallen Pugh
- Catriona, Duges Harlech
- Frederick Tomosand, Marcwis Clifton