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Henry was never a Protestant. In fact, the pope had previously called him "defender of the faith." Henry simply declared himself head of what had until then been the Catholic Church in England, keeping the liturgy, the teachings, the hierarchical succession pretty much the same, except for that part about fealty to the pope. Those that refused to go along with the change, who expressed loyalty to the pope, were forced into exile, hiding or prosecution. (Then when Mary, Queen of Scots came to the throne, the persecutors and persecute es switched places up until her death.)
Anglicanism's status in Christianity has always been ambiguous. It didn't sign onto the doctrines of Luther or Calvin and in practice resembles Catholicism most. It sometimes refers to itself as the "Third Way".
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