King Henry VIII wanted to separate from the Catholic Church because he wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon so he can marry Anne Boleyn. He thought that the Pope would call off the marriage when he told him. So, he decided to wait until he says something. But he ended up waiting for 6 years for an answer to come, and the Pope didn’t approve the divorce. He decided to take action by secretly marrying Anne. Afterwards, Thomas Cranmer told everyone that the marriage with Catharine is done. At the beginning of June, Anne was crowned queen.
In 1527, Henry is looking forward to from the Pope to divorce Catherine of Aragon but is refused. In 1533, Henry marries Anne Boleyn, and Princess Elizabeth is born. A year later, the Act of Supremacy is passed, establishing Henry as head of the Church of England. In 1535, Sir Thomas More is killed after refusing to recognize Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England. Then Thomas Cromwell is made Vicar-General and starts plans to seize the Church’s wealth. In 1536, Anne Boleyn is killed and Henry marries Jane Seymour. Also, he had started the dissolution of the smaller monasteries, and the Ten Articles was published. In 1537, the Bishops Book was published and Edward is born. Also, Jane Seymour died in October. In 1538, there was the first publication of the English translation of the bible. In 1539, the Act of Six Articles was issued, which reaffirmed most Catholic beliefs.
With Henry’s new powers, he was able to dissolve the monasteries and sell their land, and led possession to landowners and merchants. The English nobles didn’t like the papal control of the church, and now they have to listen to new orders. King Henry remained close to Catholic teachings.
When King Henry broke away from the Catholic church of Rome, there was a period known as the Protestant Reformation. The consequences of the reformation were experienced in Europe. It changed the people’s religious beliefs, and the economic and cultural structures of European society. There was also dissolution of the monasteries. There were lands that were seized by the state and were sold to the profits they used to fund personal projects.
In the end, many people are dissatisfied with the Catholic Church. They now believe that the Catholic Church was abusing their power for political gain. The major effect on England was the diffusing of the religious power in England that had been concentrated in Rome.