Edward IV's elevation of the Woodville Family so alienated the other peers that it was one of the main causes of the downfall of the Yorkist dynasty. It may have been Edward's intention to limit the power of the old nobility by creating a new, more powerful group, who would be loyal to him only as they had received all their patronage from him.
These efforts to create a new nobility more amenable to his interests, angered the older nobles and alienated Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, who had been a power behind his throne. Edward also placed much power and trust in other nobles such as the Stanleys who controlled the North-west of England. Lord Thomas Stanley and his brother were two of the most powerful men in England. They had vast amounts of land and controlled a huge population. Edward should not have given them free run to build up their power. Especially as their loyalty was debatable. This was mainly because Lord Stanley was married to Margaret Beaufort, an enemy of Edward. The Buckinghams were also given too much power, and had the ability to rebel against Edward far too easily.
Warwick made an alliance with the Lancastrians and, in 1470, drove Edward from the throne and into exile in Holland. Henry VI again became king of England. Supplied with funds by his brother-in-law, Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, Edward returned to England in 1471, raised a large army, and won decisive victories over his enemies at Barnet and Tewkesbury.
Richard Duke of Gloucester was trusted by Edward IV, he was likely to become Edward’s sons protector, he was regarded as being loyal, educated, and very able of running the country. However as with many of Edward’s IV nobles, far too much trust was placed upon him. Richard did take over the care of Edward's young heir, King Edward V, and the administration of the kingdom. Richard soon overthrew the unpopular party of the Woodvilles, relatives of the queen mother, who aimed to control the government. Parliament then declared that Richard was the rightful king, on the grounds that the marriage of Edward IV with Elizabeth Woodville had been illegal because he had contracted earlier to marry another woman. Following the death of the young princes, however, public favor turned away from Richard and toward Henry, earl of Richmond, who was the head of the rival house of Lancaster. On August 7, 1485, Henry landed at Milford Haven, Wales, collecting allies as he advanced toward England. Richard hastened to meet him, and the hostile armies faced each other on Bosworth Field. Richard fought valiantly but was defeated and killed, and the earl of Richmond became Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England.
Edward IV placed far too much power in Richard. Edward could have looked at the past history and realized that throughout history protectors and regents have failed to stay loyal, and eventually overthrown the rightful kings and seized power themselves.
