How Did King Henry VIII Affect The Papacy In England?
In 1520, the lack of a legitimate- Henry had an illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, through his mistress Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Blount- male heir to the throne- this failure was linked to the issue that Henry had married his brother Arthur’s widow- and a fixation with Anne Boleyn (seen as the catalyst of the reformation ) resulted in the decision of King Henry VIII to appeal to Rome for a papal annulment. Henry sought a divorce from Katherine of Aragon, with whom he had only one surviving child, Mary (later to become Mary I or ‘Bloody Mary’) through the annulment and alongside this, the possibility to curb the influence of the Papacy in England . However the annulment was refused by Pope Clement VII, due to wider European politics and so the Great
Matter stalled, with the Matter advanced through a constitutional avenue. In 1533, with the support of both Parliament and the Clergy, the marriage of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn occurred, followed by the Act of Supremacy in 1534. The authority of Rome was renounced, with Henry appointed the Head of the English Church and subsequently had greater power than any previous King .
Matter stalled, with the Matter advanced through a constitutional avenue. In 1533, with the support of both Parliament and the Clergy, the marriage of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn occurred, followed by the Act of Supremacy in 1534. The authority of Rome was renounced, with Henry appointed the Head of the English Church and subsequently had greater power than any previous King .