Henry VIII - King of England
In time, the Reformation spread to England, motivated by political as well as religious reasons. King Henry VIII did not have a son as heir to his throne and sought to abandon his wife, Catherine of Aragon, because of it. He believed that the Pope should annul, or allow a divorce, so he could marry another women in hopes of having a son. When the pope denied the annulment of the marriage, Henry VIII renounced Rome and declared himself the head of religious affairs in England. In the Act of Supremacy, he nullified the pope's authority and established the Church of England. This sat well with those in England, who were already becoming Protestants, but much of England remained Catholic. Nevertheless, Henry pushed forward and presided over what was called the Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church. Henry VIII went on to marry five more wives and to father a son, who died young. His daughter Elizabeth, also a Protestant, rose to the throne.
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