King Henry VIII of England is credited with starting the Church of England.
The Church of England was actually established by a series of events, rather than a single ruler. However, one of the key figures responsible for its establishment was King Henry VIII of England. Initially, Henry VIII was a devout Catholic and even received the title "Defender of the Faith" from the Pope in 1521. However, he sought to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in order to remarry and produce a male heir. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage, Henry VIII took matters into his own hands. In 1534, the Act of Supremacy was passed by the English Parliament which declared Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of England, effectively breaking away from the authority of the Pope in Rome. This marked the formal establishment of the Church of England, with Henry VIII as its de facto leader.
