Edward Earl of March and Warwick began to raise new forces
and prepared to confront the Queen. In January 1461 Edward arrived in Hereford
at the head of a new army. He headed towards Warwick Castle, but on hearing
that Pembroke, Wiltshire and Owen Tudor were advancing from the west he headed
for Mortimers Cross near Ludlow. On 2nd February 1461 Edward fought and defeated
Pembroke, and his allies.
Meanwhile Margaret headed south with her mercenary army, pillaging as they went. The Queen then ran short of money and promised her army that they could plunder the entire south of England by way of payment. London panicked and barred its gates to her. With the news of Edward's victory, Warwick was able to raise a large army and headed north to meet the Queen. The armies met at Saint Albans on 17 February 1461. Warwick was defeated but was able to rally 4000 men and retreated to join Edward. The imprisoned Henry VI was found alive and well in a house in Saint Albans.
London remained closed to the Queen and she eventually abandoned her attempt to take the city and withdrew to York with the King. Edward and Warwick returned to London, where Edward was proclaimed King. Edward left London on 19th March and headed towards York. Suffering a minor defeat at Ferrybridge he continued towards Towton. On the morning of 29th March 1461 the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil began . Twelve thousand Yorkists and twenty thousand Lancastrians were killed. Henry VI, Prince Edward and Margaret fled to Scotland. Edward Earl of March was now Edward IV King of England.
Having fought for Henry VI at Towton, Richard Woodville decided instead to swear
allegiance to Edward IV and made his peace with the new king. His son Anthony
followed suit.
Richard's daughter Elizabeth soon caught Edward's eye. She was widow to Sir John Grey of Groby and had been a maid of honour to Margaret of Anjou. On 1st May 1464 Edward and Elizabeth were secretly married. A year later she was crowned Queen. This caused a general scandal and left the Earl of Warwick deeply embarrassed - he had been attempting to arrange a French marriage for Edward!
In addition to marrying in 1464 Edward continued to press
home his advantage over the Lancastrians. Henry, Margaret, Prince Edward and
their supporters found refuge in their northern strongholds on the Scottish
border. However, after two clashes with Lord Montague (Warwick's brother) at
Hedgeley Moor and Hexham, the Lancastrians broke and those that were not killed
were scattered. Margaret fled back to Anjou. Strongholds at Bamburgh, Alnwick,
Dunstanburgh and Norham soon fell. By 1465 Henry VI, who had been living in
a monastery, had been captured and confined to the Tower.
Warwick and Edward continued to grow apart. The Earl and many others reacted
with hostility to the elevation of the Woodville family.
On 4 March 1466 Richard Woodville was made Treasurer. Soon after he was created
Earl Rivers. Even Elizabeth's son by her first marriage was made Earl of Dorset.
Anthony Woodville became Lord Scales on marrying Elizabeth Scales. Lionel Woodville
rose to become Bishop of Salisbury.