Henry VIII came into conflict with the pope primarily because of his desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. The pope, who was under the influence of Catherine's nephew, the powerful Emperor Charles V, refused to grant the annulment. This led Henry to break away from the Catholic Church and establish the Church of England, with himself as its head, in order to obtain the desired annulment. This ultimately led to the English Reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries in England.
