The Church of England is the English national church and the mother church of the broader Anglican Communion. It can trace its origins to early Christianity in Britain, but formed as a Protestant entity under King Henry VIII in the 16th century. The Church of England has preserved much of the traditional framework of medieval Roman Catholicism in its government, liturgy, and customs, while allowing for diversity in worship and beliefs.
The church is divided into two provinces, Canterbury and York, each headed by an archbishop; the archbishop of Canterbury is considered the senior bishop and the symbolic head of the Anglican Communion.