in 1536, the act of union was passed under henry's rule which had a long-lasting effect on wales as a nation. the act of union meant that welsh people were forced to speak english and things such as road signs were translated into english. the royal family, who were based in london, were now officially in charge of wales. however, the act also meant that welsh citizens were given the same legal rights as the english so there was an upside to this new law.