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Grufydd ap Llewelyn was born about 1007, the son of Llywelyn ap Seisllt and grandson of Maredudd ap Owain. Gruffyd was the only Welsh ruler to unite all of the ancient kingdoms of Wales. Grufydd was the outstanding Welsh ruler in the 11th century. He reigned from 1039 until his death in 1063.

Grufydd seized Gwynedd and Powys when Iago ab Idwal was murdered by his own men, perhaps at the instigation of Grufydd. In a fifteen year campaign, he overthrew the kings of Deheubarth, Gwent and Morgannwg in the southern kingdom of Wales and thereby uniting the kingdoms of Wales in 1057. Once he had united the kingdoms of Wales, Grufydd successfully reclaimed lands from the English east of Offa's Dyke. In his quest to unite Wales, Grufydd was ruthless, killing rivals and opponents.

In 1055 Grufydd united with Ælfgar, son of the earl of Mercia, who had been exiled from his kingdom, an enemy of Edward the Confessor. With the support of a Scandinavian force, Ælfgar was reinstated. Ælfgar then joined Grufydd in a combined, successful attack upon Herefordshire, which caused Harold Godwinsson of Wessex (later Harold II) to intervene by mustering a large army in order to arrange a settlement.

Harold appointed Loefgar, one of Harold's priests as the new bishop of Hereford. Loefgar made a surprise attack upon Wales. He was soundly defeated and Harold then appointed Aldred, bishop of Worchester to oversee the border frontier and establish peace.

Grufydd's seat and court was at Rhuddlan, in the heart of territory once established by the Mercians. Rhuddlan was surrounded by the mountains of Snowdonia, providing a natural protective barrier. The territory was wet, marshy land, virtually impossible to cross.

In 1058, the personal conflict between Ælfgar and Harold resumed and the situation escalated to a crisis point. Harold himself assumed responsibility for the earldom of Hereford, as well as the defence of the border and by 1062-1063 was prepared to strike, aided by his brother Tostig. He made a swift attack during that winter upon Wales. Grufydd retreated from the area around Wrexham, where he had been plundering and retreated into Wales, with Harold in pursuit, despite the deep snow on the ground. As Harold reached Horseshoe Pass, above Llangollen, he almost terminated his campaign, as the pass was dangerous and filled with wind blown snow. Many of Harold's men and animals perished due to the cold. He lost the tracks of the retreating Grufydd in the pass. One of Harold's scouts happened to find a wind cleared patch of ground in the upper reaches of the river Clwyd and discovered tracks revealing that Grufydd had passed that way. At that point, Harold and his men turned north and swept into the Clwyd Valley.

Gryfydd, at Rhuddlan, received news that Harold was advancing down the valley and began to prepare his ship at the quay side. Gruffydd barely managed to escape. Harold, in his rage, burned Rhuddlan to the ground.

In the spring of 1063, Harold again attacked, along with the support of a fleet. At this same time, Deheubarth rebelled against Grufydd's rule. Grufydd was unable to escape by sea and moved into central Wales, where he was assasinated in Snowdonia by a fellow Welshman in 1063 Never again would Wales be united under a single ruler.

The price Grufydd paid for his friendship with Ælfgar was indeed a heavy toll for the friendship promised more for Ælfgar than it ever could have brought to a Welsh prince.

Grufydd's defeat was a disaster for Gwynedd and for Wales. It would be another fifteen years before Wales was able to contain the damage Grufydd's defeat had allowed in English incursions into Welsh territory. The death of Grufydd left Wales weak and fragmented. It was the end of the union of the kingdoms of Wales under one ruler.

Indeed, Grufydd was the greatest Welsh ruler to unify the kingdoms of Wales. Grufydd was a descendant of Hywel Dda and Rhodri Mawr.