He did not regain the Earldom of Northumberland. Further, he lost some of the Courtney lands that had come with his Marquessate to the newly returned Earl of Devon. Montagu had no active role in government, and does not seem to have sat in Council, although he was appointed Chamberlain to the King's Household. Although he was confirmed in command of the new King's forces in the north and in possession of the manor of Wressle on 21 March 1471, he did not regain any other Percy estates. Indeed, it has been suggested that his loyalty might still have been suspected by the newly arrived Lancastrians: having been summoned to the November 1470 parliament, Polydor Virgil states that he had to apologise there for his prior support of Edward. Montagu even had to pay cash for the king's pardon, which he only received after making a lengthy speech, declaring that he had only remained faithful to Edward out of fear. Montagu, having responsibility for the defence of the north, received various commissions of array, which reflected the government's knowledge that King Edward was equipping a Burgundian-backed fleet in order to re-invade. Montagu was to raise men from all across the north. On 14 March 1471, King Edward landed at Ravenspur, on the coast of Yorkshire; he had intended to land in East Anglia, but this had been established as being unsafe. Montagu, it has been suggested, could have "snuffed out" Edward's army almost immediately had he moved fast enough. Montagu was in Pontefract Castle as Edward passed by (where even his castle bailiff deserted him for the returning king, taking the castle's funds with him). Montagu's army, composed of local militias, was probably in the region of several thousand men, between 6,000 and 7,000, and increased as he trailed Edward south. Montagu arrived at Coventry, where the Earl of Warwick was camped, in early April 1471; this was probably the day after Clarence had defected back to his brother Edward, and taken his army with him. Battle of Barnet Heath By 12 April 1471, Montagu, with his brother Warwick and the Duke of Exeter, the Earl of Oxford, and Viscount Beaumont were approaching London with their army. Edward, having arrived in London on 11 April and been reunited with his queen, met Montagu and Warwick a few miles north of London, outside the village of Barnet. It is possible that