First look of Michael Sheen as the last Welsh Prince of Wales who led a 15-year revolt against the English (and even inspired Game of Thrones) – after actor hit out at royals

The first image has been released of Michael Sheen as Owain Glyndŵr, the last Welsh-born person to hold the title of Prince of Wales, for a new theatre production. 

Sheen, from Newport, will take on the stage role portraying the medieval Glyndŵr – whom he described as ‘the iconic Welsh prince’ – in November 2026. 

The 56-year-old has previously spoken out against members of the British Royal Family holding the Prince of Wales title, claiming it is ‘inappropriate’ for it to be held by anyone who isn’t Welsh.

The play is titled Owain & Henry and will tell the story of Glyndŵr leading a 15-year rebellion against English rule in the 15th century.

Glyndŵr is a cultural figure in Wales and a symbol of Welsh nationalism despite his unsuccessful bid to claim the nation’s independence from Britain. 

He claimed the title of the Prince of Wales during his efforts to liberate his nation, but the honorific was reclaimed by the British royal family after his disappearance. 

It’s even been reported by some that his ultimately unsuccessful quest inspired author George RR Martin to create his Game of Thrones series that spawned an incredibly successful TV franchise. 

Sheen said he is ‘incredibly excited’ to be playing the historical prince and described the production as a ‘stonking epic’ after it was announced by his Welsh National Theatre. 

The newly released, haunting snap shows the actor looking dishevelled but stern with a full beard and long grey hair against a plain black background. 

Glyndŵr has been depicted in a variety of known stories, including Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays, in which he was given the anglicised name Owen Glendower.

Shakespeare’s portrayal of Glyndŵr is considered to be unfavourable, and Sheen, along with playwright Gary Owen, hopes to undo the negative connotations. 

‘It’s the play that tells the exact story that I want this national theatre company to be able to tell, on the second biggest stage in Europe,’ he told BBC News. 

He added that the play will be ‘one of the origin stories of our nation, as relevant in today’s complex world as it was when Glyndŵr declared Wales an independent nation 600 years ago’. 

Glyndŵr was not only an inspiration for Game of Thrones author George RR Martin, when writing the prophecy of ‘the prince that is promised’, about a saviour who is predicted to save the world from an ominous force.

It has also been rumoured that Che Guevara was inspired by Glyndŵr’s tactics: Cuban leader Fidel Castro referred to him as ‘the world’s first guerrilla leader’. 

The new images come after Sheen was cast as Glyndŵr back in April, and the play will start next year at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. 

Sheen has been outspoken about his disapproval of the current use of the Prince of Wales title, saying Prince William should have given it up when it was passed down to him after Charles became King.

In 2022, he took to Twitter to take a swipe at Prince William when he met with the England team at the World Cup in Qatar. 

Sheen accused William of not showing ‘a shred of embarrassment’ when he visited England’s St George’s Park training centre, where he presented them with shirts for their upcoming matches and wished them well. 

The star said it was ‘inappropriate’ for William to give them England shirts as the Prince of Wales – a title he believes should only be held by a Welshman. 

‘I didn’t say it’s insensitive to leave out the Welsh team. For those who care, the issue is that the title Prince of Wales seems inappropriate to be held by anyone not Welsh, and this is just an instance of the absurdity. 

‘The title PoW was first given to the heir to the English throne by his father, the King, as a sign of dominance over a defeated Welsh people. The ‘tradition’ can be continued or not at the whim of whoever inherits the throne. Many Welsh people feel it should be ended.

‘It’s entwined with so much of our history and how many of our present-day challenges have evolved since then that it can be for many an issue that holds much more than just its surface meaning.’

Some critics of Mr Sheen, including in his native Wales, have told him to ‘shut up’ and accused him of ‘becoming a serious embarrassment to Wales’. 

Earlier that year, the actor said the King and Queen Consort’s visit to Wales during Owain Glyndŵr day could be seen as ‘insensitive to the point of insulting’.

The national holiday commemorates the day in 1400 when Glyndŵr began his uprising against the then-king of England, Henry IV, after which his followers would proclaim him Prince of Wales.  

Previously, thousands celebrated the life and legacy of the ‘rebel’ Prince of Wales.

However, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a number of Glyndŵr Day events were cancelled, prompting disappointment and anger in some communities, with some hosting their events.

Michael Sheen took to Twitter, sharing a video with his thoughts on the visit.

In it, he said that it was a ‘beautiful day in Wales’, and also a very important one ‘for a number of reasons’.

He explained that it marked the first time King Charles had visited Wales since the death of Queen Elizabeth.

Describing the period of time since her death at Balmoral, he said it had been ‘extraordinary’ and ‘very emotional’, an ‘era-defining period of time’.

‘I offer my sincerest sympathy to Charles and his family on the loss of their mother, grandmother, and to everyone who’s feeling such depth of emotion and a sense of that loss,’ he said, noting that Her Majesty had been a ‘fixed point’ for so many people.

However, he noted, there ‘is more than one story in these isles. There is more than one tradition, there is more than one history’.

The actor explained: ‘September 16 is the day that many people here in Wales celebrate Owain Glyndŵr, who was the last native Prince of Wales, self-proclaimed’.

Glyndŵr led a rebellion against the English crown in 1400, to ‘not only to free his nation but to create his nation’, Michael explained.

He added: ‘[The rebellion] was eventually crushed, and that was the last time Wales had a native Prince of Wales.’

The tradition of naming a Prince of Wales was started by King Edward I, who named his son Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, in a move Michael described as ‘a sort of symbolic act of rebuke or punishment and humiliation’.

‘And so this day, September 16, is important to many people in Wales,’ he said.

‘Because it marks the moment where Glyndŵr claimed the title of the Prince of Wales again’.

So, he said, the two things – the King’s visit and Owain Glyndŵr day – are ‘clearly connected’.

Michael explained: ‘To choose September 16 to come to Wales, having only a short time ago proclaimed that he had created his son William as the new Prince of Wales, and to choose this day, September 16, to come here as his first visit as King seems full of meaning.’

If it had been done purposefully, he added, it could have been seen as ‘insensitive to the point of insulting’.

He continued: ‘If it was done without realising the significance of the date, then one does wonder what being Prince of Wales for so long actually meant if you’re not aware of what that day means.’

He added he wanted to add his voice to those of others who were noting the ‘irony’ of traditional Welsh celebrations being cancelled to accommodate an English monarch visiting.

‘I hope it’s not a declaration of intent, because that would be very concerning,’ he said.