How far do you agree that the key turning point in the relationship between the church and the state was the Act of Supremacy in 1559?

The Act of Supremacy 1559 outlined Elizabeth as Supreme Governor of the church and set out a protestant faith for England. The title of Supreme Governor was given due to Elizabeth being a female and not being seen as competent enough to run the church. Elizabeth’s desire for complete authority over the church and her plans not to accept changes to her 1559 settlement reflect a turning point in church and state relations as no longer did the church hold extensive power over the monarch. Henry VII’s vulnerability meant that he was utterly dependent on church support demonstrating that Elizabeth’s security allowed her to have a whole different outlook on the balance of power between the church and the state. The significance of this is that England still has a supreme governor today showing how the 1559 Act of Supremacy has not been overruled and is still intact implying that it was a major turning point in relations. However, it must be considered that the settlement was intended to be a ‘middle way’ for Catholics and Protestants allowing for Catholics to hold their own private beliefs implying that this was not a turning point in church and state relations as it appears to be an attempt of salvaging tensions that had arisen earlier in the period as Elizabeth tries to please as many as she can. Given Elizabeth’s perceived illegitimacy among Catholics, the settlement reflects her insecurity and fear of the power of Catholics suggesting that actually, the 1559 settlement was not a turning point and could be argued to be steps backward from a turning point that had already occurred as she tries to compromise with Catholics.