There is a common misconception that Henry VIII changed the religion in Tudor times. King Henry VIII did not personally change the religion in England. Instead, he led the English Reformation, a series of political, religious, and cultural changes that resulted in the establishment of the Church of England. The Reformation was driven by various factors, including Henry VIII's desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, tensions with the Catholic Church over papal authority and the rise of Protestant ideas.