Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick

Richard Neville
16th Earl of Warwick
Warwick as drawn in the Rous Roll. He displays on his shield the arms of Montagu quartering Monthermer. The bull's head is the crest of the Neville family, the eagle is the crest of Montagu.
Tenure	23 July 1449[1] – 14 April 1471
Predecessor	Anne Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick
Successor	Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick
Other titles	6th Earl of Salisbury 8th and 5th Baron Montagu 7th Baron Monthermer
Other names	Warwick the Kingmaker
Known for	Influence during the Wars of the Roses
Born	22 November 1428
Died	14 April 1471 (aged 42) Barnet, Hertfordshire, England
Buried	Bisham Abbey, Berkshire
Nationality	English
Residence	Middleham Castle, et al.
Locality	Warwickshire Yorkshire
Wars and battles	Wars of the Roses First Battle of St Albans Battle of Ludford Bridge Battle of Northampton Second Battle of St Albans Battle of Ferrybridge Battle of Towton Battle of Barnet †
Offices	Captain of Calais Lord High Admiral of England Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster
Noble family	Neville
Spouse(s)	Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick ​ ​ (m. 1436)​
Issue	Isabel, Duchess of Clarence Anne, Queen of England Margaret (illegitimate)[2]
Parents	Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (father) Alice Montagu, 5th Countess of Salisbury (mother)
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Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, 6th Earl of Salisbury KG (22 November 1428 – 14 April 1471), known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, landowner of the House of Neville fortune and military commander. The eldest son of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, he became Earl of Warwick through marriage, and was the wealthiest and most powerful English peer of his age, with political connections that went beyond the country's borders. One of the leaders in the Wars of the Roses, originally on the Yorkist side but later switching to the Lancastrian side, he was instrumental in the deposition of two kings, which led to his epithet of "Kingmaker".

Through fortunes of marriage and inheritance, Warwick emerged in the 1450s at the centre of English politics. Originally, he was a supporter of King Henry VI; however, a territorial dispute with Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, led him to collaborate with Richard, Duke of York, in opposing the king. From this conflict, he gained the strategically valuable post of Captain of Calais, a position that benefited him greatly in the years to come. The political conflict later turned into full-scale rebellion, where in battle York was slain, as was Warwick's father Salisbury. York's son, however, later triumphed with Warwick's assistance, and was crowned King Edward IV. Edward initially ruled with Warwick's support, but the two later fell out over foreign policy and the king's choice to marry Elizabeth Woodville. After a failed plot to crown Edward's brother, George, Duke of Clarence, Warwick instead restored Henry VI to the throne. The triumph was short-lived, however: on 14 April 1471, Warwick was defeated by Edward at the Battle of Barnet, and killed.

Warwick's historical legacy has been a matter of much dispute. Historical opinion has alternated between seeing him as self-centred and rash, and regarding him as a victim of the whims of an ungrateful king. It is generally agreed, however, that in his own time, he enjoyed great popularity in all layers of society, and that he was skilled at appealing to popular sentiments for political support.^[3]