He was born on 25 February 1475, at Warwick, the family home of his mother, the Duchess of Clarence, formerly Lady Isabella Neville, elder daughter of the 16th Earl of Warwick ("Warwick the Kingmaker"). He was created Earl of Warwick in 1478, shortly after the attainder and execution of his father for treason. His potential claim to the throne following the deposition of his cousin, King Edward V, in 1483, was overlooked because of the argument that the attainder of his father also barred Warwick from the succession (although that could have been reversed by an Act of Parliament).