Hastings. For reasons I never understood, became important to the English national myth.
However, before Henry VIII built a navy for England, there were lots of instances where England was conquered by noblemen based in France or the Low Countries -the advisors of Philip II drew up a list when planning the Armada- so if the Duke of Normandy didn't get it done in 1066 some other continental nobleman would have. The dynasty of William the Conqueror as it happened died out 70 years after the conquest, to be supplanted by two other French based dynasties. There was also a good chance, as indicated by the life of Emma of Normandy, of England acquiring a continental royal dynasty by marriage.
There obviously was a big effect on the language, but its also not clear what the Normans brought to the development of England and its institution that wasn't happening already.
However, before Henry VIII built a navy for England, there were lots of instances where England was conquered by noblemen based in France or the Low Countries -the advisors of Philip II drew up a list when planning the Armada- so if the Duke of Normandy didn't get it done in 1066 some other continental nobleman would have. The dynasty of William the Conqueror as it happened died out 70 years after the conquest, to be supplanted by two other French based dynasties. There was also a good chance, as indicated by the life of Emma of Normandy, of England acquiring a continental royal dynasty by marriage.
There obviously was a big effect on the language, but its also not clear what the Normans brought to the development of England and its institution that wasn't happening already.