Owain Glyndwr, Catrin's father, fought against England

The expo at the Aberystwyth-based institution highlights the suffering of women and children in war by concentrating on the life of Catrin Glyndwr.

Catrin was captured with her son and two daughters at Harlech in 1409 during her father's fight for Welsh independence.

They spent the next four years locked up in the Tower of London and died only six months after the ruthless king, Henry V, took over the English throne.

Women in Welsh history are never figured prominently so Catrin can be seen as an example of a strong woman Rhian Medi, memorial committee

Catrin's husband Edmund had a strong claim to the English throne, and although it is not known how she died, there is a possibility that Henry V had her killed.

Catrin was buried with her children in St Swithin's church in London following their death in 1413.

Centrepiece

"Women in Welsh history are never figured prominently so Catrin can be seen as an example of a strong woman, " said Rhian Medi of the Catrin Glyndwr Memorial Committee, who organised the exhibition.

"Her life and death reflects how women and their children suffer in wars, which we see in present day conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq," she added.

A 10-foot high sculpture dedicated to Catrin was unveiled by actress Sian Phillips in 2001.

The sculpture was crafted out of Gelligaer bluestone and stands in Cannon Street Gardens, London, where St Swithin's churchyard had been before it was destroyed by a bomb during World War 2.

Catrin Glyndwr was imprisoned in the Tower for four years

It represents the suffering of women and children in war and celebrate the enduring spirit of Wales.

The present exhibition's centrepiece is a stone inscribed with a couplet written by Welsh-language poet, Menna Elfyn.

"This stone will eventually placed at the foot of the London memorial after the exhibition has toured Wales," added Ms Medi.

Owain Glyndwr, who was proclaimed Prince of Wales on 16 September 1400 after rebelling against English rule, is a key figure in Welsh history and was the last Welsh-born Prince of Wales.

The burial site of Catrin Glyndwr at Cannon Street is important for Welsh historians because it is the only known resting place of a member of the Glyndwr family.

The Aberystwyth exhibition will run for the next six weeks.