ABSTRACT
In 1461 Warwick played the crucial role in Edward IV's usurpation. Some historians have interpreted this as the first example of his 'kingmaking'. This view is based on foreign accounts, which were prone to exaggerate Warwick's influence. Warwick's support was invaluable to Edward but he was more than amply rewarded. He dominated the nobility as no magnate had since Thomas of Lancaster. Edward's control of patronage showed that he intended to rule his own kingdom. In other vital areas of medieval kingship, such as his marriage and foreign policy, for better or for worse he was going to make the decisions. Edward's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was a major setback for Warwick, reflecting the decline in his influence over the King. Powerful men like Warwick, and before him Thomas of Lancaster, were able to pursue their apparently limitless ambitions in the 'undermighty' reigns of kings such as Henry VI and Edward II.
