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When the Protestant Reformation began, Henry VIII opposed Martin Luther and sided with the Catholic Church. This changed when his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, did not provide him with a live son to inherit his kingdom. Henry VIII asked the Pope for an annulment (since the Catholic Church does not recognize divorce, per se) and decided to leave the Catholic Church when his request was rejected. Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy in 1534, which declared Henry to be the "Supreme Head" of the Church of England.

As Supreme Head of the Church of England, Henry dissolved the monasteries and sold Church lands to generate revenue. He also divorced Catherine and married Ann Boleyn. As far as doctrine, however, Henry did very little, making his Reformation the most conservative of the Reformation movements.

I will be posting Part 2 of this lecture soon, in which I will address the progress of the Reformation during reigns of Henry's children.