Final answer:
The divorce of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon directly led to the rise of Protestantism in England by prompting the foundation of the Church of England and breaking away from Catholicism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The event that directly led to the initial rise of Protestantism in England was d. The divorce of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. King Henry VIII's desire for a male heir and his subsequent quest for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon instigated his break with the Catholic Church. This action led to the establishment of the Church of England with the King at its head, signaling the birth of Protestantism in England.
While William Tyndale's translation of the Bible and Queen Elizabeth I's ascension to the throne were significant to the Protestant movement, it was Henry VIII's actions that catalyzed the creation of a separate Protestant church. The defeat of the Spanish Armada later strengthened Protestantism under Elizabeth I's rule, but it was the divorce that set the religious reformation in motion.