Final answer:
Catherine of Aragon's coronation ring was symbolically cut off to signify the end of her marriage to England, which ended with an annulment after she failed to produce a male heir for Henry VIII.
Step-by-step explanation:
The coronation ring was symbolically cut off to signify the termination of Catherine of Aragon's marriage to England. Henry VIII had secured a special dispensation from Pope Julius to marry Catherine, who was previously married to his late brother Arthur. However, the marriage only produced one surviving child, a daughter named Mary. Seeking a male heir and influenced by his affection for Anne Boleyn, Henry desired an annulment when Catherine could not produce a male heir. When Pope Clement VII refused the annulment due to political pressure and the implications of reversing a papal decision, Henry declared the English church's independence from papal authority through the Act of Supremacy. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, then granted the annulment under the newly formed Church of England, ending Henry's marriage to Catherine.