After his victory in the Wars of the Roses, Henry Vll wanted to make sure that English remained peaceful and that his position as king was secure. He deliberately strengthened the central administration of England and reduced the power of the nobles. He was thrifty and built up the monarchy's financial reserves. When he died, his son Henry Vll continued the policy of centralising power.
Henry Vlll was most famous for breaking away from the Church of Rome and marrying six times. To divorce his first wife, Henry needed the approval of the Pope. When the Pope refused, Henry established the Church of England. In this new Church, the king, not the Pope, would have the power to appoint bishops and order how people should worship.
At the same time the Reformation was happening across Europe. This was movement against the authority of the Pope and the ideas and practice of the Roman Catholic Church. The Protestants formed their own churches. They read the Bible in their own language instead of in Latin; they did not pray to saints or at shrines; and they believed that a person's own relationship with God was more important than submitting to the authority of the Church. Protestant ideas gradually gained strength in England, Wales and Scotland during the 16th century.
In Ireland, however, attempts by the English to impose Protestantism (alongside efforts to introduce the English system of laws about the inheritance of land) led to rebellion from the Irish chieftains, and much brutal fighting followed.
During the reign of Henry Vlll, Wales became formally united with England by the Act for the Government of Wales. The Walsh sent representatives to the House of Commons and the Walsh legal system was reformed.
Henry Vlll was succeeded by his son Edward Vl, who was strongly Protestant. During his reign, the Book of Common Prayer was written to be used in the Church of England. A version of this book is still used in some churches today. Edward died at the age of 15 after ruling for just over six years, and his half-sister Mary became queen. Mary was a devout Catholic and persecuted Protestants (for this reason, she became known as 'Bloody Mary). Mary also died after a short reign and the next monarch was her half-sister, Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry Vlll and Anne Boleyn .