Edward was grimly determined to regain the throne after spending nearly a year in exile. For most of that time, along with his youngest brother Richard, he had been the guest of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who had married Edward's sister Margaret. Edward had left everything behind when he fled, even his heavily pregnant wife Elizabeth. She had fled to sanctuary in Westminster Abbey and given birth to their first son in his absence. The departure from England had been so unexpected, he had been obliged to pay for shipboard passage with his fur cloak.

Fortunately for Edward, Charles was bitterly opposed to Warwick who was on very friendly terms with King Louis XI of France, to the point of offering Louis military support in the form of archers for use in the long running feud between France and Burgundy. Charles agreed to finance his brother-in-law’s bid to recapture his throne.

Aided by Burgundy’s money and ships, Edward returned to England in March 1471. At the start Edward's venture seemed ill-starred. The planned invasion nearly ended in disaster before he even landed, as a storm sank a ship full of valuable horses and scattered the rest of his fleet in the North Sea. After landing his battered forces and re-grouping, Edward continued to receive a rather unenthusiastic response from the locals. Towns closed their gates and refused him entry, and the substantial support he hoped to get from Henry Percy in Northumberland failed to materialize. Deciding on a more cautious approach, Edward proclaimed that he had no intention of re-taking the throne, having returned only to claim his rightful inheritance, the Dukedom of York. The City of York was prepared to believe him, and opened the gates on condition he swore a solemn oath that this was indeed his purpose, which Edward did.

Edward was never too bothered about keeping such oaths. Messages were dispatched by courier to potential allies throughout the land, and as support began to roll in his confidence grew. Meanwhile Warwick was in the Midlands, also desperately trying to raise support. Warwick was no doubt very dubious about the loyalty of his fickle son-in-law George, Duke of Clarence. Clarence sent assurances that he was on his way with a large force, as indeed he was. He failed to mention he was on his way to join Edward, however.

On April 12^th, Edward entered London unopposed. He found himself welcomed into London on by Warwick's youngest brother, another shifty George, the Archbishop of York. George Neville took the precaution of obtaining a full pardon first before delivering the city, Tower, and the hapless King Henry VI without any resistance. Henry greeted Edward, with genuine fondness it seems, saying, "I know, dear cousin, that my life is safe in your hands...."

When it was learned that Warwick was amassing a force against the returning Yorkists, Edward assembled his army and rode out to join battle with him. This action was critical to the campaign because it enabled the interception of Warwick before he could link up with Margaret and her army coming from France. Warwick waited uneasily within the walls of Coventry after Edward's departure. Only after Oxford, Montagu, and Exeter had joined him was he satisfied that their combined strength was enough to face Edward in battle. They followed Edward south, with a large and well provisioned artillery train. Warwick had marched through St. Albans with a force of about 9,000 men and taken up a position on Hadley Green, just north of Barnet. The majority of the guns were trained and ranged on the Great North Road leading north out of Barnet, the only route Edward could take to approach.

Edward's advance guard, a sizeable light cavalry force, briefly skirmished with some of Warwick's scouts. Warwick now knew Edward was getting close, and there was even a possibility of battle being joined that very evening. He ordered the guns to be loaded and all men to their battle stations. Edward, at the head of some 8,000 men, arrived at Barnet on the evening of April 13^th, and in spite of the darkness advanced to within a short distance of Warwick. On the night preceding the battle a fog set in and armies deployed closer than they knew. Warwick attempted to disrupt the Yorkists with artillery bombardment through the night, but the Yorkists had taken up positions under the range of the guns and the shots sailed harmlessly past them.

The air temperature dropped quickly after dark, and moisture that had evaporated during the day condensed into a thick mist. During the night before the battle the mist developed into something never before seen. Smoke from Warwick's artillery caused water vapor in the air to condense around microscopic particles of partially burnt carbon and sulphur, the residue of exploding gunpowder, and produced a thick chemical fog, so that when morning broke an unusually dense fog enveloped the battlefield. Although nervous soldiers on both sides could hear the enemy somewhere in front of them, they were invisible, as were most of their allies, only a few yards away. The Lancastrian guns ceased fire when dawn broke, as the gunners and the rest of the army tried to get some idea of what the enemy were up to and where they were.

Edward decided to take the initiative and attack. In the initial stages the Yorkist left, under Lord Hastings, was beaten from the field by the Earl of Oxford’s forces, and gleefully chased off the field of battle through the town of Barnet and beyond. Richard, Duke of Gloucester had some success on Edward’s right against Exeter. The fight in the center was sternly contested. Edward led an elite force of heavy cavalry, numbering only a few hundred or so, including Clarence (under close surveillance) and his brother-in-law, Anthony Woodville. Again and again he led them into the heart of the fighting, rallying his troops and stopping the Lancastrians from breaking through the hard pressed Yorkist line. Oxford, returning from the pursuit of Hastings, misjudged the position, and in the mist his banners with their star were mistaken for Edward’s sun and he was attacked by men from Warwick’s center. The damage they did to each other was decisive, for until then the fight had been largely in Warwick's favor. Thinking treachery was afoot, Oxford and his followers rode off the field. On the point of victory only seconds ago, the Lancastrians began to retreat in panic, some dropping their weapons and running northward as the rest fell back in increasing disarray. Warwick made a last desperate attempt to rally his men as Edward charged.

It is not known exactly how Warwick met his end at Barnet; various sources have him cut down as he tried to gain his horse and flee, but Edward’s sister Margaret of Burgundy stated that Warwick was captured at the end of the battle, and was being taken alive to Edward when he was recognized and killed. Speculation has it that it was George, Duke of Clarence who may have eliminated The Kingmaker. Already in disgrace for betraying Edward, what ghastly secrets of treachery, disloyalty, and plots to take the throne might his cousin and father-in-law the Earl of Warwick be likely to tell King Edward, were he taken alive? Added to that was an enormous bonus, the massive Warwick inheritance, which would come to his wife Isobel.

The fighting was over by late morning. After congratulating those who had survived, Edward returned to London. He interrupted the Easter service at St. Paul’s Cathedral to give thanks, and ordered a victory Te Deum to be sung. The hard won Lancastrian banners were presented at the altar in gratitude, and the bodies of Warwick and Montagu were delivered later to be exhibited the next day. Henry VI, meanwhile, had taken the last positive action of his unhappy life. After being compelled to watch his supporters lose yet again, the gentle Henry, who abhorred bloodshed and violence, gave his escort the slip during the confusion at the end of the battle. He rode north, and did pretty well considering he was over fifty and no great horseman. After a long pursuit he was overtaken on the St. Albans road, then led back once again to the Tower. That was to be his last taste of freedom.