Who established the Anglican Church in England?

The establishment of the Anglican Church, also known as the Church of England, is attributed to Henry VIII primarily as a result of his desire for an annulment from Catherine of Aragon. When the Pope refused to grant this annulment, Henry VIII took decisive action to separate from the Roman Catholic Church. This led to the Act of Supremacy in 1534, which declared the King as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, effectively establishing an independent Anglican Church with the English monarch at its helm.

This context highlights the significant political and personal motivations behind the formation of the Anglican Church, which was less about theological disputes and more about establishing authority and control within England. While subsequent figures like Elizabeth I played important roles in shaping the church and defining its beliefs, it was Henry VIII's actions that laid the foundational shift away from Catholicism and initiated the creation of the Anglican Church.