ho would eventually become Duke of Richmond. Next, Henry turned to Mary Boleyn who remained his mistress even after her marriage. It was even rumored that she delivered him another illegitimate son.
             Catherine had three infants who were either stillborn or died immediately after birth; all three infants were male. She also had two infants who died within weeks of birth, one of these were male. In February of 1516, Catherine gave birth to Mary, her only child to survive. At the sight of a girl, Henry's heart fell and disappointment overcame him. Historians say that it was the birth of Mary that led to Henry's infidelity.
             According to the Royal Court, "The Royal marriage had failed in its first duty, namely to secure the succession" (Scarisbrick 150). Henry opened the divorce in 1527 and planned to have his marriage to Catherine annulled on the grounds that it was not legal because she had been his brother's wife. In 1533, Henry passed the Act in Restraint of Appeals, which recognized Henry as the supreme head of England's church and separated England from Rome. "The English Parliament granted Henry more authority over the English clergy. By rallying Parliament's support, Henry was trying to show that breaking with the Catholic Church was the will of the English people, not merely a whim of his own" (Farah 183).
             The man most influential in the divorce was Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury. It turns out that he was appointed to that position specifically for the purpose of finalizing Henry's divorce to Catherine. Cranmer was to collect the opinions of the people who would be most instrumental in the divorce proceedings.
             It was Thomas More who Henry thought would support him because Henry had chosen to befriend him. Although More thought Henry's feelings to be genuine, he said, " If my head could win him [Henry] s castle n France, it should not fai...