Henry sought to split with the Pope for a number of reasons, one of which was that the Catholic Church had a lot of money.Henry would obtain large quantities of cash that would assist him in funding his battles with France, Scotland, and Ireland if he were to take control of the assets owned by the church.Together with his newly appointed senior advisor, Thomas Cromwell, he initiated the process of dissolving the monasteries.

Despite the fact that he was already married to Catherine, Henry wished to marry Anne Boleyn because he felt she could give birth to an heir. After learning that Anne Boleyn was carrying his child, Henry made arrangements to marry her in private at Whitehall Palace. This event is often seen as the moment when the rupture with Rome began.