Wales’s true prince
Saunter around Machynlleth, and you’re likely to pass the
Owain Glyndwr Centre. This medieval building stands on the site where, in 1404, Owain Glyndwr (c1359-c1415) called a parliament of people from across the country. He was proclaimed the Prince of Wales, becoming the last native Welshman to hold the title. Dreaming of a Wales with its own government, universities and judiciary, Glyndwr was already embroiled in a war of independence against the English. His uprising against Henry IV of England in
1400 had gone well, and Glyndwr controlled almost all of Wales three years later. But his fortunes soon changed, and he eventually had to flee. It’s not known where he died.