| Richard Neville, 16th Earl Of Warwick |
Article Index for Richard Neville |
Website Links For Richard |
Information AboutRichard Neville, 16th Earl Of Warwick |
|
Said to have been born in Bisham , Berkshire , Warwick was the eldest son of Richard Neville, 5th Earl Of Salisbury and Alice Montagu, Countess Of Salisbury . His younger brother was Sir John Neville, 1st Marquess Of Montagu and briefly Earl Of Northumberland . Warwick married Anne De Beauchamp , the sister of Henry De Beauchamp, 1st Duke Of Warwick, 14th Earl Of Warwick . When the Duke died, his earldom was inherited by the infant Anne De Beauchamp, 15th Countess Of Warwick . Lady Warwick died at age five, and Neville inherited the earldom through his wife. Thus, he controlled two great earldoms, with estates throughout the English Midlands and the Welsh Marches . As the nephew by marriage of Richard, Duke Of York , Warwick was a leading figure in the Wars Of The Roses . He used his influence and popularity to help York to gain a more influential role under Henry VI , although he stopped short of supporting York when he claimed the throne in 1460 . When his father was killed at the Battle Of Wakefield in 1460, Warwick became the largest and most influential landowner in England, after which his military support was instrumental in putting Edward IV Of England on the throne. The two had a very close relationship during the early years of Edward's reign, when Warwick put down Lancastrian rebellions in the northern counties of England. By the late rather than France, and his reluctance to allow his brothers George, Duke Of Clarence and Richard, Duke Of Gloucester to marry Warwick’s daughters Isabel and Anne . By 1469, Warwick had formed an alliance with Edward's jealous brother Clarence, to whom he married his elder daughter Isabel. They defeated Edward's forces at the Battle Of Edgecote , capturing the King and ruling in his name for a few months. Crucially, however, Warwick's brother Montagu remained loyal to Edward. Warwick found that he could not rule effectively with the King imprisoned, and folowing his release the King gradually reasserted political control. Following another rebellion blamed on Warwick and Clarence in 1470, Warwick was attainted as a traitor and fled to France. There he came to form an alliance with his old enemy Margaret Of Anjou , exiled queen of King Henry VI Of England . As a result, he married his younger daughter, Anne, to Margaret's son, Edward, Prince Of Wales . Margaret remained suspicious of Warwick, and insisted that he cement their alliance by returning to England with an army. This time, Warwick's brother Montagu supported him with an army from the north, and Edward was forced into exile while Warwick restored Henry VI to the throne on October 30 . Warwick now planned to consolidate his alliance with Louis XI Of France by helping France to invade Burgundy , for which King Louis promised him the reward of the Burgundian territories of Zeeland and Holland . News of this drove Charles The Bold , Duke of Burgundy, to assist Edward with funds and an army to invade England in the spring of 1471. By the time Margaret and her supporters were ready to join Warwick from France, Warwick (along with his brother and chief supporter Montagu ) had been defeated and killed by the returning Edward IV at the Battle Of Barnet . His daughter, Isabel remained married to Clarence until his death in 1478; but Anne Neville, whose husband the Prince of Wales was killed at the Battle Of Tewkesbury shortly after Warwich's death, later married Gloucester, who became King as Richard III . REFERENCES
SEE ALSO |