The statement that best describes the development of England as a nation-state is:
As the need for protection gradually decreased, feudalism was replaced by monarchs who ruled by laws and legal precedent. Eventually, Parliament became more powerful than the monarch.
This statement accurately reflects the historical progression of governance in England, where the decline of feudalism led to a stronger central authority under the monarchy, followed by the emergence of Parliament as a significant political power, particularly after events such as the Magna Carta and the English Civil War.