Isn't it true that the Church of England was founded because Henry VIII wanted a divorce?

This popular misconception has an element of truth, but is far from the whole story. While Henry VIII's desire for an annullment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was, in a manner of speaking, the straw that broke the camel's back (and, for what it's worth, Henry's request wasn't out of line with church laws of his day...but that's another story), the trend toward separation from Rome had been building for over two centuries in England, which had never fully embraced the rule of the papacy.