The Importance of a Son

• Producing a male heir was paramount to securing the Tudor dynasty.
   

• Catherine’s failure to bear a surviving son strained her marriage and court position.
   

Henry’s Infatuation with Anne Boleyn

• Henry’s desire to annul his marriage to Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn triggered a political and religious crisis.
   

• Catherine’s steadfast refusal to accept the annulment challenged the king’s authority and sparked England’s break with the Catholic Church.
   

 The King’s “Great Matter” and Catherine’s Defiance

The Annulment Crisis

• Henry sought annulment on grounds that his marriage to his brother’s widow was invalid.
   

• The Pope’s refusal led Henry to reject papal authority and establish the Church of England.
   

Catherine’s Resistance

• Catherine maintained that she was the lawful queen and Henry’s wife.
   

• Her dignified resistance inspired loyalty among many English subjects and reinforced her image as a woman born to rule. shutdown123