Final answer:
King Henry VIII of England broke with the Roman Catholic Church to establish the Church of England, a move that was fueled by his desire for a male heir and led to the Protestant Reformation in England.
Step-by-step explanation:
Henry VIII and the English Reformation
Henry VIII, the King of England from 1509-1547, is well-known for founding the Church of England, an act that significantly contributed to the Protestant Reformation in England. Initially, Henry was a staunch Catholic and even received the title 'Defender of the Faith' from Pope Leo X. However, his desire for a male heir drove him to seek an annulment from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, which the Pope refused. This led to a pivotal moment where Henry broke away from the authority of the Pope and set up the Church of England. In the process, he married six times, but it was his marriage to Jane Seymour that finally produced his desired male heir, Edward VI.
Henry's decisions had far-reaching implications: he appropriated the wealth of dissolved monasteries to enhance his treasury and required English clergy to swear allegiance to the Anglican Church, which he headed. Despite making few doctrinal changes, the establishment of the Church of England marked a significant shift in the religious and political landscape of the era, with Henry's offspring, Mary I and Elizabeth I, and their respective policies further shaping the religious future of England.