One thing which I think hasn't been mentioned that much is the effect of Henry's excommunication after the break with Rome.

This meant that the catholic monarchs of Europe were duty bound to try to depose the heretic King of England, and fear of invasion was ever present throughout the 1530s and 1540s.

Only the rivalry between France and the Holy Roman Empire prevented this happening effectively.

This gave Henry two choices - either stress your orthodoxy - I'm still a catholic but have just taken over the control of our religious affairs - (a bit like Brexit?) or make an alliance with the protestant powers in Europe - this was the policy favoured by Cromwell and led to the ill fated Anne of Cleves marriage.

After the execution of Cromwell Henry vacillated between these two policies depending on which faction at court held sway.

It also led to the bizarre situation where he burned three protestant "heretics" and hanged three catholic "traitors" on the same day

Firm but fair?