Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (22 November 1428 – 14 April 1471) was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander. Originally siding with the House of York during the Wars of the Roses, he later switched to the House of Lancaster, and he was killed at the Battle of Barnet.
Biography[]
Richard Neville was the son of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury and Alice Montacute, 5th Countess of Salisbury, and he emerged at the center of English politics during the 1450s due to inheritance. He originally supported King Henry VI of England's claim to the throne, but a territorial dispute with the Duke of Somerset led him to collaborate with Richard, Duke of York in opposing the king. He gained the strategically valuable post of Captain of Calais, but the wars were marred with personal losses, such as the deaths of the Duke of York and his own father, the Earl of Salisbury, at the Battle of Wakefield. York's son later triumphed with Warwick's assistance, becoming King Edward IV of England. Warwick and Edward eventually fell out over foreign policy and the king's choice of Elizabeth Woodville as his wife, and Warwick failed to crown the Duke of Clarence as king. He instead restored Henry VI to the throne, leading to war with Edward. On 14 April 1471, he died in battle with Edward's army at the Battle of Barnet.
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