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Henry VIII and the King's Great Matter

I can explain why Henry VIII became dissatisfied with the Roman Catholic Church.

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New
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Henry VIII and the King's Great Matter

I can explain why Henry VIII became dissatisfied with the Roman Catholic Church.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Henry VIII trying to get a divorce from Catherine of Aragon was known as the 'King's Great Matter'.
  2. Henry wished to marry Anne Boleyn because he needed a son for an heir.
  3. The Church did not want to give Henry an annulment.
  4. The failure of Wolsey to secure an annulment led to his fall from power.

Keywords

  • Heir - a person who expects to inherit the property or position of another when that person dies

  • Annulment - to declare something invalid

Common misconception

Kings have the power to do whatever they want in their own countries.

For a great deal of English history, the power of the kings has been restricted by English laws and religious laws issued by the pope in Rome.

A class debate can be organised regarding whether or not the failure of Wolsey to secure an annulment should have led to his downfall. Give students a side to argue for and provide them with evidence to support that opinion, then allow students to hear each others' arguments and respond to them.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which keyword describes someone who tries to change and improve something, such as a religion?
Correct Answer: reformer, reformer/reformist, reformist, Reformer, Reformist
Q2.
Which keyword describes a Christian who believes that the pope has authority over the Church?
Correct Answer: Catholic, catholic
Q3.
Which of the following words describes the idea that the bread and wine used in the Eucharist became the body and blood of Christ, whilst also remaining bread and wine?
Correct answer: consubstantiation
transubstantiation
symbolic
Q4.
Which invention allowed Luther to spread his ideas to a wide audience?
the telephone
the telegram
Correct answer: the printing press
the internet
Q5.
Match the reform ideas to the correct person.
Correct Answer:objected to the sale of indulgences,Martin Luther

Martin Luther

Correct Answer:limited gambling, dancing and swearing,John Calvin

John Calvin

Correct Answer:banned music from his church,Huldrych Zwingli

Huldrych Zwingli

Q6.
Complete the sentence: Although there were several different versions of Protestantism in Europe at this time, version of Protestantism became the dominant one.
Correct Answer: Calvin's, John Calvin's, Calvins, John Calvins

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What keyword describes a person who expects to inherit the property or position of another when that person dies?
Correct Answer: heir, Heir
Q2.
Which keyword means to declare something invalid?
Correct Answer: annulment, Annulment
Q3.
Complete the sentence: Henry VIII trying to get a divorce from Catherine of Aragon was known as the ' '.
'King's Urgent Matter'
'Queen's Great Matter'
Correct answer: 'King's Great Matter'
'King's Pressing Matter'
Q4.
Why did Henry VIII want to divorce Catherine of Aragon?
He had fallen in love with Jane Seymour.
Correct answer: She had been married to his brother, Arthur, first.
Correct answer: He had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn.
Correct answer: She did not give him a surviving son.
She wanted to change her religion from Catholicism.
Q5.
Why was Pope Clement VII not in a position to grant Henry VIII a divorce in 1527?
He did not want to risk a war with other Catholic European kings.
He was about to step down as pope and so did not have time.
Correct answer: At that time, he was the prisoner of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V.
A previous pope had had an argument with Henry so Clement did not want to help.
Q6.
The failure of whom in securing Henry VIII's divorce led to their fall from power?
Pope Clement VII
Correct answer: Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
Catherine of Aragon

Additional material

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Lesson appears in

UnitHistory / Henry VIII and the Reformation: how unusual was the English Reformation?

History

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