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 transition from feudalism to a more centralized form of government, where the authority of the monarchy was gradually limited by the establishment of legal frameworks and the rise of Parliament as a significant political force. The other statements contain inaccuracies regarding the timeline and events associated with the evolution of governance in England, such as the role of the Magna Carta and the nature of the relationship between the monarch and Parliament.