Final answer:
Queen Elizabeth I's reign solidified England as a Protestant nation. Despite the religious shifts during the reigns of her predecessors - King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, and Queen Mary I - it was under Elizabeth's rule that the Church of England formed its identity as a Protestant-leaning state church.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reign that solidified England as a Protestant nation was that of Queen Elizabeth I. Following the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, and Queen Mary I - all of whom played their parts in the tumultuous religious transitions of the time - it was under Elizabeth I that the Church of England remained the state church, retaining a hierarchical structure similar to the Catholic Church but leaning Protestant. Queen Elizabeth I, ruling from 1558 to 1603, navigated a moderate approach to religious affairs, aiming to maintain stability and order in the nation under her Protestant reign.
Her father, King Henry VIII, started the shift towards Protestantism for a personal cause - wanting to annul his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, upon her failure to provide a male heir. However, the Church of England, under his leadership, remained largely Catholic in terms of doctrine and ritual.
His successors, Edward VI and Mary I, had their influences – Edward's rule saw the Anglican Church becoming more Protestant, and Mary, a devout Catholic, attempted to return England to Catholic rule, leading to religious persecutions of Protestants.
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