The university came into existence through the merger of the two oldest higher education institutions in Wales, the University of Wales, Lampeter (UWL) and Trinity University College (TUC) in 2010, under Lampeter's royal charter of 1828. In 2011, it was announced that the University of Wales would also merge into Trinity Saint David. On 1 August 2013 the university merged with Swansea Metropolitan University. King Charles III has been patron of the university since 2011.
