Final answer:
The women listed, all wives of King Henry VIII, played key roles in the English Reformation which saw England sever ties with the Catholic Church, leading to the establishment of the Church of England and affecting the reigns of subsequent monarchs including Elizabeth I and Mary I.
Step-by-step explanation:
The women listed: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, and Katherine Parr are all connected to Henry VIII, King of England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Their significance arises from their roles as wives in the turbulent political and religious upheaval known as the English Reformation.
Catherine of Aragon's marriage to Henry sparked the Reformation after Henry sought an annulment so he could marry Anne Boleyn, leading to England's break with the Catholic Church.
Anne Boleyn became his second wife but was executed following accusations of adultery. Jane Seymour, his third wife, gave birth to Henry's desired male heir, Edward, before dying post-childbirth. No heirs resulted from his subsequent marriages to Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, and Katherine Parr.
Henry's desire for a male heir and changes to the succession acts had far-reaching consequences. The religious shifts instigated by Henry's marital decisions contributed to the establishment of the Church of England, with Henry placing himself at the head, thus severing ties with the papacy and the Catholic tradition.
This period also saw key figures such as Queen Elizabeth I and Mary I, 'Bloody Mary', whose reigns were influenced by these dynastic and religious changes.