WIREDGOV

The lost princess of Wales, Gwenllian, daughter of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, is to be reunited with her family this weekend as a north Wales peak is officially renamed in her memory.

Carnedd Uchaf, as the peak is currently named, will be known as Carnedd Gwenllian, with the change being officially marked on Ordnance Survey maps. The move reunites Gwenllian with her father, uncle and mother, after whom other mountains in the area are named.

The renaming is the result of a long campaign by the Princess Gwenllian Society, and on Saturday (26 September) Alun Ffred Jones AM, Heritage Minister for Wales, and Dafydd  Elis-Thomas, Lord Nantconwy, Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly, will officially mark the occasion with a ceremony in Beaumaris.

Princess Gwenllian, born in June 1282, was daughter to Llywelyn, the last ruling Prince of Wales. Llywelyn was killed in December the same year, shortly before the whole of Wales came under the control of Edward I. Gwenllian, as heir to the Welsh throne, was snatched from her home and taken to the Abbey at Sempringham, Lincolnshire, where she was held for the rest of her life, dying in 1337 aged 54.

While Ordnance Survey does not have the authority to alter place names itself, it has agreed to put Gwenllian on the map following consultation with all the parties involved, including the Snowdonia National Park Authority, the National Trust, local authorities and emergency services.

Spokesman for Ordnance Survey, Paul Beauchamp, comments: “Any changes to the map need to be carefully considered because they are relied on by the emergency services and mountain rescue teams to help find stranded climbers.

“As agreement has been reached, we are delighted to reflect the name change and to be playing a role in reuniting Princess Gwenllian with her father, mother and uncle among the mountain peaks of her homeland.”

The OS Explorer Map of the area, sheet number OL17, is now available while the OS Landranger Map 115 will be updated in January 2010.

 Senior Communications & PR Officer - Melanie Osborne

Email: melanie.osborne@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2937

Senior Communications & PR Officer - Paul Beauchamp

Email: paul.beauchamp@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2568

Press Office fax: (+44) 023 8030 5295