Henry VIII, dissatisfied with the Catholic Church's refusal to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, orchestrated a bold move to break away from Rome's authority. On November 3, 1534, the English Parliament passed the first Act of Supremacy, declaring Henry VIII the supreme head of the Church of England, effectively supplanting the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. This drastic shift in power marked the birth of Anglicanism, allowing Henry to annul his marriage and marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn. This radical departure from centuries-old tradition would forever alter the course of English history.