Powerful as he might be, the English ealdorman never succeeded in becoming really hereditary or independent of the Crown.

Kings as weak as AEthelred could drive ealdormen into exile and could replace them by fresh nominees.

If the Witenagemot enabled the great nobles to bring their power to bear directly on the Crown, it preserved at any rate a feeling of national unity and was forced to back the Crown against individual revolt.

The Church too never became feudalized.

The bishop clung to the Crown, and the bishop remained a great social and political power.