16 March. Giraldus, contesting the bishopric of St David's against one of Hubert Walter's's nominees, records his own support for the efforts of a person named only as "R.", Cistercian subprior of Aberconwy Abbey, to be recognised as the true bishop-elect of Bangor. As Robert refused to resign his earlier appointments, he was attacked by Peter of Blois, the Dean of Wolverhampton, another close supporter of Henry II, who was now out of favour. Peter wrote to Robert, denouncing his pluralism in strong terms and commending the virtues of apostolic poverty, although Peter himself had a long record of holding benefice in plurality – a practice increasingly regarded as unacceptable by the Church. It is not known whether Robert actually was shamed into resigning his earlier benefices, but he does seem to fade out of the picture at St Mary's, Shrewsbury, about the turn of the century. Thereafter, William Lestrange appears as dean, although his dates are uncertain, and in 1203 Henry of London was appointed to the post. At Wolverhampton, Peter of Blois took his belated reforming programme further, claiming that the negligence and nepotism of the prebendaries "brought forth hissing and derision from the entire population." Hubert Walter dissolved the college and King John conferred the prebends on him in 1203 in order that he could endow a new Cistercian abbey on the site. The whole venture ultimately came to nothing, but it seems likely Robert lost his prebend in the process, if he did not resign it earlier. However, he was not an energetic bishop at Bangor, being non-resident for most of his episcopate. Last years and death Robert had been inserted into the diocese of Bangor by an archbishop of Canterbury, backed by a king of England. However, his episcopate coincided with the renascence of the Principality of Gwynedd under Llywelyn the Great. The death of Hubert Walter in 1205 removed Robert's most important patron and initiated a dispute over the succession to the archdiocese of Canterbury that led to the imposition of an interdict on the whole country and excommunication of King John personally. William Fitz Alan, Robert's chief regional supporter, died in 1210, leaving his lands to eldest son, also William, a minor, from whom King John demanded a huge fine before he could enter into his inheritance. This pushed the Fitz Alans decisively into the emerging baronial opposition to John and they became