Final answer:
Henry VIII sought an annulment from Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn in the hopes of fathering a male heir. The denial of the annulment by the Catholic Church led to the creation of the Church of England, and ultimately, to the granting of the annulment by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Step-by-step explanation:
Henry VIII demanded an annulment from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. His motivation for the annulment was the lack of a male heir, which he attributed to the illegitimacy of his marriage to his brother's widow, a union that required special dispensation from Pope Julius II.
Catholic Church law prohibiting the marriage of close relatives suggested the marriage should not have occurred. However, after Catherine was unable to deliver a male heir, and Pope Clement VII refused the annulment—partially due to political pressures and the implications of admitting papal fallibility—Henry sought to challenge the Catholic Church's authority.
Henry's defiance led to significant religious and political changes. In 1534, the Act of Supremacy was passed by Parliament, establishing the Church of England with the King as its head. This move allowed Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury with Protestant sympathies, to grant the annulment. Subsequently, Henry married Anne Boleyn, though she also failed to provide a male heir, leading to further marital and religious reverberations across England.