Margaret Hanmer (c. 1370 – c. 1420), sometimes known by her Welsh name of Marred ferch Dafydd, was the wife of Owain Glyndŵr.
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Early life and marriage
Nothing is known of Margaret's early life, not even the precise date of her marriage. She was the child of Sir David Hanmer, who was a chief justice of the King's Bench during Edward III's reign, and his wife Angharad ferch Llywelyn Ddu, and was probably raised in a Welsh household. Her father taught Owain Glyndŵr when the latter studied law; it is not known when Margaret married Owain, although it is thought that their wedding may have taken place in 1383 in the church of St Chad's in Hanmer. The number of children she bore, and the dates of their births, are likewise uncertain.
The poet Iolo Goch praises Margaret and her generosity in his poem "Llys Owain Glyndŵr yn Sycharth", one of three he composed in Owain's honour.
Margaret had three brothers, Gruffydd, Philip and John, all of whom supported Glyndŵr when he formally assumed his ancestral title of Prince of Powys in 1400. The Hamners were still with Owain when a Welsh parliament proclaimed the latter Prince of Wales at Machynlleth in 1404.
Although some modern histories have therefore accorded Margaret the title "Princess of Wales", there is no contemporary record that Hanmer used either that title or her husband's earlier title of Prince of Powys. Only one wife of a Welsh prince is known to have used the title: Eleanor de Montfort, wife of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last Prince of Wales.



