In 1284, England annexed Wales under the Statute of Wales, turning it into an English colony. Prior to this, Wales had enjoyed a cultural and political autonomy ever since the 8th century Offa’s Dyke geographically separated the Britons of the west (Wales) from the Germanic tribes of the east (England). Wales itself consisted of several kingdoms at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. In 1216, Llewelyn ap Iorwerth of the Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd was recognised as overlord by the other Welsh rulers, and in 1218 he was acknowledged by the English crown. In Welsh chronicles, he is described as the “Prince of Wales”. His grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who marched into the lands controlled by Norman barons, was also recognised as such. They would be the last Princes of Wales, as England’s Edward I decided to go to war. Before and after annexation, Edward I had castles built to guard his new territories, but to also clearly communicate the power of English rule. These castles in Wales formed Edward’s chain of fortifications called the Ring of Iron, which included Caernarfon Castle, Beaumaris Castle, and Conwy Castle. In fact, “Wales” and “Welsh” were names imposed by the invaders. According to Jon Gower in his book The Story of Wales (Penguin Random House, 2012), the terms come from Old English and translates to “foreign land” and “foreigners”. As Gower says, “The Welsh had their own name for themselves, the Cymry“–derived from the Celtic which means “fellow countryman”–“but it was the Norman label that stuck in the end” (p. 83). Read more about it in our article History of Wales.