Were the wives of King Henry VIII central in determining the King's policies?

Question

Were the wives of King Henry VIII central in determining the King's policies?

Answer 1

Absolutely. Because Henry needed a divorce he had to break with Rome - thus changing the whole course of British ecclesiastical (and political) history and the relationship with (mainly catholic) Europe. In the process he got his hands on about quarter of the land in the country and became the richest man on the planet. Beyond this the wives were expected to provide him with a male heir - those who failed to do this were dispatched by various means. Whether they were ablle to influence day-to-day policy is moot - they didn't seem to be around long enough in most cases.