county · British Isles

County Palatine of Pembroke

1138 CE – 1536 CE (approx.) · capital Pembroke

A Norman marcher lordship in south-west Wales, base of Strongbow's invasion of Ireland and birthplace of Henry VII.

Origins

Arnulf de Montgomery built the first castle at Pembroke in 1093, and it held out against Welsh counter-attacks. In 1138 King Stephen made Gilbert de Clare Earl of Pembroke, giving the lordship palatine powers. English and Flemish settlers occupied south Pembrokeshire, creating the 'Little England beyond Wales'.

Rule and society

The earls exercised royal-style jurisdiction within the county. Gilbert's son Richard de Clare, Strongbow, led the invasion of Ireland in 1170 from here. William Marshal, who married Strongbow's heiress, rebuilt Pembroke Castle with its great round keep. Later holders included the Valence and Hastings families and Jasper Tudor, whose nephew Henry VII was born in the castle in 1457.

Decline and legacy

The Laws in Wales Act of 1536 ended its special status, and Pembroke became the core of Pembrokeshire. The earldom title continued in the Herbert family.

Lineage

County Palatine of PembrokeKingdom of England 927 CE – 1707 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). County Palatine of Pembroke. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-palatine-of-pembroke
MLA
“County Palatine of Pembroke.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-palatine-of-pembroke. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “County Palatine of Pembroke.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-palatine-of-pembroke.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘County Palatine of Pembroke’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-palatine-of-pembroke (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻