Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer Michael Maloney When Henry VIII's petition to Pope Clement VII for an annulment of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon was refused, the King ordered Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to grant the annulment. By rejecting the Pope's authority and invoking his own, Henry had created a new church, with himself as head. Actor Michael Maloney has appeared in the Masterpiece Theatre productions The Forsyte Saga II (2003), Me & Mrs Jones (2002), The Jury (2002), Painted Lady (1998), and The Last Place on Earth (1985).