Which noble family did Warwick the Kingmaker belong to?

Warwick the Kingmaker belonged to the Neville family, one of the most powerful noble houses in late medieval England.

Richard Neville (1428–1471) inherited the Neville name through his father, Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury. His influence expanded dramatically through marriage: he became Earl of Warwick jure uxoris after marrying Anne Beauchamp, heiress to the Warwick estates. In time, his lands, offices and family alliances made him England’s wealthiest peer.

Warwick first supported the Lancastrian King Henry VI, then joined Richard, Duke of York, during the political crisis that became the Wars of the Roses. He helped York’s son Edward seize the throne in 1461, earning the nickname “Kingmaker.” Later, disagreements with Edward IV led Warwick to switch sides and briefly restore Henry VI.

The Nevilles are sometimes confused with the Beaucherts, Beauforts or Percys because Warwick inherited Beauchamp lands and had Beaufort ancestry through his grandmother. His noble family, however, was unequivocally Neville.