There are many sources that claim King Henry VIII founded the Anglican Church. This is untrue, although he did sever the connection with Rome. The Anglican Church, better known as the Church of England, was originally formed under St. Augustine. The Pope sent Augustine to Britain to gather in more subjects for the church and steady their religious beliefs. Augustine’s work spread Christianity throughout Britain, but was also influenced by the Celtics of that time.

Throughout its early years, the church in Britain was often at odds with the Pope’s church in Rome. When Henry became King, he had many differences with Rome. While the refusal of the Pope to grant him a divorce was well known, it was not the deciding factor in severing religious relations with the Roman Catholic Church. It was just one more dividing point in a long series of disputes. The current version of the Anglican Church was actually finalized during the reign of Elizabeth I.