 Henry is known for his consequential role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church , besides his six marriages and many extramarital affairs , as well as his effort to obtain an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon , which led to conflict with the Pope . His disagreements with the Pope led Henry to separate the Church of England from papal authority , with himself as king and as the Supreme Head of the Church of England ; the disputes also led to the Dissolution of the Monasteries . His principal dispute was with papal authority rather than with doctrinal matters , and he remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings despite his excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church . Henry oversaw the legal union of England and Wales with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 . He is also well known for a long personal rivalry with both Francis I of France and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V , with whom he frequently warred . 
