The Anglican Church, England’s version of the Protestant Reformation, began because of a forbidden divorce. King Henry VIII was not happy with his marriage — his wife Catherine of Aragon had given birth to only one live child, a daughter. He became convinced the marriage was cursed, and demanded from the Pope an annulment of the marriage. The Pope refused: it had taken a special act from him to sanction the marriage in the first place. Without an annulment and unable to divorce under Catholic law, Henry VIII decided to break away from the Church and establish his own divorce-friendly religious doctrine. He made the most of his that tenet of his new-found religion for the rest of his life.

On this day, January 28, 1547, King Henry VIII died peacefully from old age. He had married a total of six times and left behind three heirs: two daughters and a son, Edward, who at the tender age of nine succeeded his father to the throne.

Edward VI unfortunately did not have a long reign, succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 15. But like his father, he made the most of his time, proclaiming a number of measures against the Church: images were forbidden – statues and stained glass windows were destroyed or dismantled. The rule of priesthood celibacy was cancelled, as was their wearing of vestments. By the time Edward was succeeded by his half-sister (a daughter by his father’s first wife), the Reformation was continuing on under its own momentum.