⛪Henry VIII and the Break with Rome

How a king's divorce created the Church of England.

1. No male heir

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   Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had only one surviving child, Mary. Henry decided to divorce her, hoping another wife would give him a son and heir.

2. The Pope refuses

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   To divorce Catherine, Henry needed the approval of the Pope. The Pope refused to grant it.

   but to divorce he needed

3. Church of England formed

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   Henry established the Church of England. In this new Church the king, not the Pope, held the power to appoint bishops and order how people should worship.

   so the king

4. The wider Reformation

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   Across Europe the Reformation was happening, a movement against the authority of the Pope. Protestant ideas gradually gained strength in England, Wales and Scotland.

   this matched

5. Wales united with England

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   During Henry VIII's reign, Wales became formally united with England by the Act for the Government of Wales, and the Welsh sent representatives to the House of Commons.

   during his reign too

6. A Protestant heir

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   Henry was succeeded by his son Edward VI, who was strongly Protestant, and the Book of Common Prayer was written for use in the Church of England.