NEWPORT-BORN Hollywood actor Michael Sheen has questioned the timing of King Charles III's visit to Wales on the day national hero Owain Glyndŵr is celebrated.

In a video posted to Twitter, Mr Sheen offered his "sincerest sympathies" to the royal family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and extending those sympathies to everyone affected by the death of Britain's longest serving monarch.

Mr Sheen went on to praise the Queen for her duty and service over the years, and spoke of the "extraordinary sense of history and tradition" that has been present since the Queen's death. He then went on to point out the significance of September 16 in Wales.

It is the day that people in Wales celebrate Owain Glyndŵr, an extremely important figure in Welsh history who rebelled against English rule in the Late Middle Ages.

Owain Glyndŵr was the last Welsh-born Prince of Wales (albeit self-declared), and he fought a significantly larger English force using guerilla tactics for 15 years and is an icon of those pursuing an independent Wales.

Following Glyndŵr's defeat, Kings of England began declaring their heir as the Prince of Wales in what many view as a punishment for Glyndŵr's rebellion.

September 16 is important because that was the date that Owain Glyndŵr was crowned Prince of Wales.

In the video, The Damned United star Mr Sheen said that for the King to choose this date for his first visit to Wales "seems full of meaning".

Mr Sheen said that if the date was chosen deliberately, then many people in Wales will view it as "quite insulting to those who celebrate Owain Glyndŵr, the man who tried to free this nation from the oppressive force of the English monarch at the time".

He went on to say how surprising the date of the visit was given that the new Prince and Princess of Wales will take on the titles with "a great sense of humility" and would celebrate the history of Wales.

Mr Sheen said: "If it was done on purpose then it seems insensitive to the point of insult.

"If it wasn't done on purpose, if it was done accidentally without realising what that day was, then one does wonder what being Prince of Wales for so long actually meant if you're not aware of what that day means."

Mr Sheen noted the irony that the celebrations of Owain Glyndŵr's day were cancelled because of a visit from an English monarch.

He finished the video by wishing a happy Owain Glyndŵr day to the King, Prince William and to "all those in Wales who feel a deep meaning to this day".