his ostensible vassals and struggled to ensure a smooth succession for his chosen heir, Dafydd ap Llywelyn, son of Llywelyn and Joan, a daughter of King John. He suffered a paralytic stroke in 1237, and died on 11 April 1240, leaving Dafydd to succeed him to the precarious principality.

During Llywelyn's childhood, Gwynedd was ruled by two of his uncles, who split the kingdom between them, following the death