The King's Great Matter

The King’s Great Matter refers to King Henry VIII's effort in the 1530s to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which the Pope refused to grant. This led Henry to break away from the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and establish the Church of England, through the Act of Supremacy in 1534. The move was motivated by his desire to marry Anne Boleyn and secure a male heir. The "Great Matter" symbolizes a pivotal religious and political shift in England, resulting in the nation's independence from Papal control and significant changes in church and state.