Final answer:
The Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church, was established during the reign of Henry VIII. It separated from the Roman Catholic Church and made the king the head of the church. While it retained many Catholic elements, it underwent further reforms under Edward VI and faced calls for more reforms during Elizabeth I's reign.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church, was established during the reign of Henry VIII. It was Henry's desire to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, that led him to break with the Roman Catholic Church. Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy in 1534, making the king the head of the Church of England. While the Church of England remained largely Catholic in terms of doctrine and ritual, Henry VIII dissolved all the monasteries in England and confiscated their wealth.
During the reign of Henry's son, Edward VI, the Anglican Church became more Protestant in nature, with reforms such as allowing priests to marry and denouncing the use of rosary beads in prayer. The English-language Book of Common Prayer was published in 1549, which laid out the new church service.
Under Elizabeth I, the Church of England again became the state church, but there were calls for further reform from Puritans who wanted to remove all Catholic influences from the church.