LONDON, April 20 (UPI) -- "The Tudors," a British television drama about the royal dynasty, has been accused of rewriting history because it wasn't Welsh enough.
The BBC show, shot in Ireland with a cast of predominantly Irish and English actors, has raised concern among historians that it may have marginalized Wales' contribution to British history, the Western Mail reported Friday.
The drama was shot around Dublin and Wicklow, and casts Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII in his late 20s and early 30s.
Cultural historian Peter Stead of the University of Glamorgan said the House of Tudor often overshadowed important aspects of Wales' past.
"There are other strands that need to be done, like the whole issue of industrial history," Stead said.
Wales and England effectively joined under Henry VIII in an Act of Parliament that saw English named as Wales' official language, to the detriment of Welsh.
A spokesman for the series' production company was unavailable for comment, but the BBC's Sue Deeks said, "'The Tudors' is a lavish, highly entertaining and addictive historical drama which takes a fresh look at Henry VIII."
