Difference between revisions of "Iron Throne"

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Since the construction of the [[Red Keep]] in [[King's Landing]], the Iron Throne has been located on a high platform in the throne room within the castle. Usually, the members of the [[Kingsguard]] stand guard below. When the king is presiding, only he, his family, and his council may sit; all others must stand or kneel.{{Ref|aGoT|43}} During the rule of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]], the throne room was decorated with the [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|skulls of their dragon]]s.{{Ref|aGoT|43}}
 
Since the construction of the [[Red Keep]] in [[King's Landing]], the Iron Throne has been located on a high platform in the throne room within the castle. Usually, the members of the [[Kingsguard]] stand guard below. When the king is presiding, only he, his family, and his council may sit; all others must stand or kneel.{{Ref|aGoT|43}} During the rule of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]], the throne room was decorated with the [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|skulls of their dragon]]s.{{Ref|aGoT|43}}
  
==History==
 
 
===Targaryen Dynasty===
 
===Targaryen Dynasty===
:{{Main|House Targaryen}}
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Following [[Aegon's Conquest|his conquest]] of six of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] in [[Westeros]], [[Aegon I Targaryen]] proclaimed himself their king, and was crowned by the [[High Septon (Aegon's Conquest)|High Septon]] at [[Oldtown]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} From the swords of his enemies, Aegon created the Iron Throne, and the dynasty he began would rule for nearly three hundred years.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}{{Ref|AGOT|43}} The Iron Throne stood at Aegon's wooden castle, the [[Aegonfort]], which was located at the place where he had first come to shore. The town that grew around it became [[King's Landing]], the kingdom's new capital.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} Aegon reconciled the [[Iron Islands]] under his rule in {{Date|2}}, and continued his wars in {{Date|4}} with the [[First Dornish War]], in an attempt to subdue the seventh of the Westerosi kingdoms.{{Ref|fab|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}
  
Once [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon I]] had conquered six of the seven kingdoms, he proclaimed himself the only king in Westeros, and the rule of the Iron Throne extended over the continent. He was acknowledged by the previous [[kings in the North]] and [[King of the Rock|the Rock]], and had the support of the rulers he had appointed to [[the Stormlands]], [[the Riverlands]] and [[the Reach]].  
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The Iron Throne kept out of war following the conclusion of the First Dornish War in {{Date|13}}.{{Ref|fab|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}} Other wars with Dorne would follow under Aegon's successors: the [[Second Dornish War]] in {{Date|37}} at the start of [[Aenys I Targaryen]]'s reign, the [[Third Dornish War|Third]] and [[Fourth Dornish War]] during the reign of [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]],{{Ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} and the [[Conquest of Dorne]] during the reign of [[Daeron I Targaryen]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}}
  
The first years of Targaryen reign were a period of uneasiness and turmoil. Upon King Aegon's death, his son [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys I]], born of [[incest]] and considered a weakling, took the throne. Upon his ascension, several rebellions broke out over [[Westeros]]. During Aenys's rule, the [[Faith of the Seven]] suffered numerous (though unintentional) slights; the final straw was when Aenys had his [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|son and heir]] wed to his [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|daughter]]. This incestuous marriage enraged the Faith and led to the [[Faith Militant uprising]] against the Iron Throne. Aenys died later that year, some say by illness, others murder.{{ref|twoiaf| Aenys I}}
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During Aegon's reign, one of his queens [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]] and [[Visenya Targaryen]] would sit on the Iron Throne while Aegon and his other sister were away from the capital for one of his progresses.{{Ref|fab|Three Heads had the Dragon - Governance Under King Aegon I}} In {{Date|35}}, Aegon had the [[Aegonfort]] where the Iron Throne stood torn down.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings - Aegon I}} As construction of the [[Red Keep]] began, the Iron Throne remained where it had stood.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}  
  
Due to the scheming of Dowager Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]], her son [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor]] took the Throne rather then the late King Aenys's [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|eldest son]]. Maegor the Cruel was a harsh ruler - his response to the Faith's rebellion was bloody and ferocious, resulting in the deaths of thousands in battle, slaughter and [[dragonfire]]. The carnage lasted through all of Maegor's reign. During Maegor's reign, construction of the [[Red Keep]] was completed, and to preserve its secrets, Maegor had all its builders put to death. Maegor was killed atop the Iron Throne; some say the throne itself killed him.{{ref|ASOS|36}}{{ref|twoiaf| Maegor I}}  
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Aegon's immediate successor, his eldest son [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys I]], faced several rebellions at the start of his reign in {{Date|37}}, which were resolved by his bannermen and brother [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor]] during the course of the year. Aenys later faced problems with the [[Faith of the Seven]], first following his brother's [[polygamy|polygamous]] [[marriage]] in {{Date|39}}, and next after he married his own [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|son]] and [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|daughter]] to one another in {{Date|40}}. The Faith rose [[Faith Militant uprising|in rebellion]] against the Iron Throne, eventually forcing Aenys and his family to flee King's Landing for [[Dragonstone]]. Aenys died the following year of illness.{{ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Upon his death, his brother Maegor returned from his exile and claimed the throne over Aenys I's eldest son, [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon]], who was unable to travel to King's Landing. While Maegor took the throne, Dowager Queen [[Alyssa Velaryon]] proclaimed Prince Aegon king on [[Driftmark]], but few came forth to support him. Called "the pretender" and "Aegon the Uncrowned", Aegon took up arms against Maegor in {{Date|43}} after he slipped into the capital to claim the dragon [[Quicksilver]]. Aegon fell to Maegor during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]] later that year. During his six-year rule, Maegor continued to fight the Faith  and did so harshly, causing the deaths of thousands. Notably, he ordered the construction of [[Maegor's Holdfast]] within the [[Red Keep]] in {{Date|43}}. The Red Keep was completed in {{Date|45}}, after which Maegor had all the workers killed to prevent the castle's secrets being spread.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Aenys I's youngest son [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] announced his claim to the throne at [[Storm's End]] early on in {{Date|48}}. Maegor's main supporters flocked to Jaehaerys's side, leaving him with insufficient men to defend himself. Maegor was found dead seated on the Iron Throne by Queen [[Elinor Costayne]] hours after his last war council. The cause of Maegor's death is still debated; several potential murderers have been put forth, with some suggesting that Maegor had been killed by the throne, and others that Maegor had taken his own life.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}{{ref|ASOS|36}}{{ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}
  
Due to Maegor dying with no issue, his successor was King Aenys's last surviving son [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]]. Jaehaerys ended the Faith's uprising peacefully, and brought peace and prosperity to the realm for over fifty years. He was succeeded by his grandson.  
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Following his death, Maegor was succeeded by his brother's youngest son, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Jaehaerys reigned for fifty-five years.{{Ref|fab|Prince into King - The Ascension of Jaehaerys I}} He appointed his sister's eldest daughter [[Aerea Targaryen]] as his heir,{{Ref|fab|The Year of the Brides - 49 A}}{{Ref|fab|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} a position she held for five years (with the exception of three days during {{Date|52}}), until the birth of Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen (daughter of Jaehaerys I)|Daenerys]].{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} The title of heir apparent was given to Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]] following his birth two years later,{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumps and Tragedies}} which he held until his own death in battle in {{Date|92}}. Aemon's death caused a crisis in the succession, as his only issue was a daughter, [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys]]. Rhaenys was pregnant upon the death of her father, and when Jaehaerys appointed Aemon's brother [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon]] over Rhaenys, Rhaenys proclaimed that the king had not only passed over her, but also her "unborn son". Upon Baelon's death in {{Date|101}}, Jaehaerys called the first [[Great Council]] at [[Harrenhal]], to appoint his new heir. For thirteen days, the fourteen claims were discussed by the lords of the realm. The lords assembled eventually chose between Rhaenys's son [[Laenor Velaryon]] and Baelon's eldest son [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys]]. The elder Viserys was chosing with the great majority of the votes.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}
  
King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] reigned over a time of peace and plenty for the Seven Kingdoms continuing the legacy of his grandfather, Jaehaerys the Wise.  
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Viserys's reign gave peace and plenty to the realm. In {{Date|126}}, after passing judgement seated on the Iron Throne, Viserys injured himself severely on the barbs. The amputation of two of Viserys's fingers, Maester [[Gerardys]] managed to save the knig's life.{{Ref|fab|The Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Following the death of [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|his second son]], Viserys officially proclaimed his daughter [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] as his heir. Viserys remarried after the death of [[Aemma Arryn|his first wife]], but despite having three sons during his second marriage, he continued to view Rhaenyra as his heir.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} At Viserys's death in early {{Date|129}}, [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon]], his eldest son, claimed the throne, making use of Rhaenyra's presence at Dragonstone during her pregnancy. Brother and sister fought over the throne during the two and a half years that followed, in a struggle called the [[Dance of the Dragons]]. In {{Date|130}}, Rhaenyra [[fall of King's Landing|took King's Landing]] and sat the first night on the Iron Throne to accept fealty from those present at the Red Keep, wearing her armor. Regardless, [[Septon]] [[Eustace (Dance of the Dragons)|Eustace]], one of the supporters of Aegon II, claims that Rhaenyra had cuts on her legs and the palm of her left hand once she got up from the throne, and claimed this was an indication that "the Iron Throne had spurned her".{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Rhaenyra fled King's Landing half a year later following [[riot of King's Landing|riots]], at which point two new "kings" declared themselves during the [[Moon of the Three Kings]]: [[Trystane Truefyre]], a young squire who took possession of the Red Keep and sat on the Iron Throne, and [[Gaemon Palehair]], a small child.{{Ref|Fab|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} Both were eventually arrested by Lord [[Borros Baratheon]], and [[Aegon II Targaryen]], who had by then executed Rhaenyra, retook the Iron Throne, which he held until he was killed with poison half a year later.{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}} Rhaenyra's eleven year-old son [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon III]] was crowned king, and married to Aegon II's daughter and only remaining child, [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], uniting the claims.{{Ref|fab|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}} When Lord [[Corlys Velaryon]] died in {{Date|132}}, his body was placed beneath the Iron Throne for seven days.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}}
  
However, upon Viserys's death there was a succession dispute between his eldest daughter and designated heiress [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and his younger son [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon]]. This dispute led to the first major civil war in the history of the unified Seven Kingdoms, known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]]. According to [[Septon]] [[Eustace (Dance of the Dragons)|Eustace]], Rhaenyra bled after sitting the Iron Throne following the [[fall of King's Landing]], even though she wore armor.{{ref|TPATQ}} [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]] eventually had Rhaenyra executed, but his rule was short and he was killed by poison half a year later.
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Aegon III was succeeded in {{Date|157}} by his fourteen-year old son, [[Daeron I Targaryen]], who was succeeded by his brother [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor I]] four years later. When Baelor died in {{Date|171}} after a forty-day fast,{{ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} the succession of the Iron Throne was again unclear. The claims of Baelor's three sisters were discussed, but dismissed, after which Baelor's uncle, [[Viserys II Targaryen]], was crowned. Viserys reigned for only a year, but it said he truly ruled and preserved the land for much longer, as he had been [[Hand of the King]] during the time of his brother Aegon III's reign, as well as the reigns of his nephews Daeron and Baelor. Despite the shortness of his reign, Viserys implemented several new reforms.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II}}
  
After his death, Rhaenyra's son [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon III]] took the throne, and [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], the daughter of Aegon II, as his wife and queen. Although the conflict had been resolved and the continuity of the Targaryen line was again assured, the war caused great damage to their power: many [[dragon]]s had died during the fratricidal fighting, thus depriving them of their most valuable resource. Aegon III was considered a broken King who brooded throughout his reign. He became known as Aegon Dragonbane when the last of the Targaryen Dragons died during his rule.
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After Viserys II died of a sudden illness, his eldest son [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ascended the throne, who is remembered in history as "the Unworthy". On his deathbed, Aegon IV legitimized all of his [[bastard]]s, including [[Daemon I Blackfyre]], his bastard son by his cousin [[Daena Targaryen]]. Aegon IV had previously gifted Daemon with the Targaryen sword [[Blackfyre]], typically considered the "sword of kings".{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} This, combined with the growing Dornish influence during the reign of Aegon IV's son [[Daeron II Targaryen]], ultimately brought forth the [[First Blackfyre Rebellion]], in which Daemon Blackfyre fought King [[Daeron II Targaryen]] for the Iron Throne.{{Ref|Twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}
  
[[Dorne]] had long been a source of frustration to the Targaryens. Upon taking the throne at the age of fourteen in {{Date|157}}, Aegon's son King [[Daeron I Targaryen|Daeron I]] almost immediately launched an [[Conquest of Dorne|invasion]] of [[Dorne]]. This was an attempt to finish Aegon the Conqueror's work and unify all the seven original kingdoms and the rule of the Iron Throne. His campaign was a success, but the rebellious [[Dornishmen]] made holding Dorne a costly adventure. It is said the conquest of Dorne lasted but a summer, and that the Young Dragon spent ten thousand men taking Dorne and lost fifty thousand trying to hold it. Daeron himself died at age eighteen while trying to solidify control of the area, after the Dornishmen rose in rebellion.  
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King [[Daeron II Targaryen]] brought Dorne peacefully into the realm early on in his reign, by wedding his younger sister [[Daenerys Targaryen (daughter of Aegon IV)|Daenerys]] to his good-brother [[Maron Martell]], the [[Prince of Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}} In {{Date|196}}, Daemon I Blackfyre announced his claim to the throne. When he died during the [[Battle of the Redgrass Field]] later that year with his two eldest sons, his remaining children fled to [[Essos]]. [[Blackfyre Pretenders|Four other rebellions]] would follow in the decades that followed. The [[Second Blackfyre Rebellion|second]] and [[Third Blackfyre Rebellion|third]] rebellion took place during the reign of [[Aerys I Targaryen]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}} the fourth during the reign of [[Aegon V Targaryen]], {{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} and the fifth and final rebellion as part of the [[War of the Ninepenny Kings]] during the reign of [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]]. {{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
  
Daeron I was succeeded by his brother. King [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor the Blessed]] proved a peaceful king and a pious man. He constructed the [[Great Sept of Baelor]] in King’s Landing.  
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Following the death of his eldest son [[Baelor Targaryen (son of Daeron II)|Baelor]] and Baelor's two sons [[Valarr Targaryen|Valarr]] and [[Matarys Targaryen|Matarys]], Daeron II was succeeded by his second son, [[Aerys I Targaryen ]]. Throughout his reign, Aerys acknowledged four different heirs: first came his brother [[Rhaegel Targaryen|Rhaegel]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}} After Rhaegel's death, Aerys acknowledged Rhaegel's only son [[Aelor Targaryen|Aelor]] as his heir, but Aelor died in {{Date|217}} during a mishap caused by his twin sister and wife, [[Aelora Targaryen|Aelora]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}} Aerys's third heir was Aelora.<ref>asoiaf.westeros.org: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/146027-rlj-v164/&do=findComment&comment=8092607 R+L=J v. 164 &ndash; Comment by Ran (December 12, 2017)]</ref> However, she was mad with grief and committed suicide sometime later, leaving Aerys to recognize his fourth and last heir to the throne, his youngest brother [[Maekar I Targaryen|Maekar]]. When Aerys died in {{Date|221}}, Maekar succeeded him.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I}}
  
He died in {{Date|171}}, and was succeeded by his uncle, King [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys II]], the tenth Targaryen to sit the Iron Throne. Viserys reigned for only a year, but it said he truly ruled and preserved the land for much longer, as he had been the Hand during the time of his brother Aegon III's reign, as well as the reigns of his nephews Daeron and Baelor.
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Maekar's reign lasted until {{Date|233}}, when the king fell in battle fighting a rebellious lord on the [[Dornish Marches]]{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I}} during the [[Peake Uprising]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons}} A [[Great Council]] was convened after Maekar's death, and his fourth son, [[Aegon V Targaryen]], was elected as king.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I}} King Aegon V perished in {{Date|259}} in the [[tragedy of Summerhall]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} and was succeeded by his second son, [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys II]], who died three years later of illness.
 
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Jaehaerys was followed by his son, [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. Although his reign began promising, Aerys's madness slowly grew. By {{Date|280}}, he had become nown as the “Mad King” and “King Scab”, for he had cut himself on the Iron Throne many times.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} In {{Date|282}}, the [[Vale]], [[North]], and parts of the [[Stormlands]] and [[riverlands]] rose in [[Robert's Rebellion|rebellion]] against Aerys following the executions of [[Rickard Stark|Rickard]] and [[Brandon Stark]]. During the [[Sack of King's Landing]], Aerys was cut down by one of his own [[Kingsguard]], Ser [[Jaime Lannister]]. Following the deaths of Aerys, his heir [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], and Rhaegar's young children, and the exile of Aerys's pregnant wife [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]] and young son [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]] was crowned king, ending the Targaryen dynasty.
Viserys's son, King [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon IV]], would be remembered as Aegon the Unworthy, held to be the worst king in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. This was in part because he legitimized all of his [[bastard]]s on his deathbed, planting the seeds for the [[Blackfyre Pretenders]].
 
 
 
Aegon's trueborn son King [[Daeron II Targaryen]] brought Dorne peacefully into the Seven Kingdoms through a dual marriage pact. Daeron the Good won the [[First Blackfyre Rebellion|first of the Blackfyre rebellions]], which ended with the death of his half-brother [[Daemon I Blackfyre|Daemon Blackfyre]].
 
 
 
Daeron died in the [[Great Spring Sickness]] and was succeeded by his second son, [[Aerys I Targaryen|Aerys I]], a bookish man who left most of the running of the realm to his Hand, [[Brynden Rivers]]. The [[Second Blackfyre Rebellion|Second]] and [[Third Blackfyre Rebellion]] happened during his rule.
 
 
 
Aerys's death without issue let to the crowning of his younger brother, [[Maekar I Targaryen]], who ruled a dozen mostly peaceful years.
 
 
 
Maekar was followed by his son [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]], who became known as "the Unlikely" because he was the fourth son of a fourth son. The [[Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion]] was put down during Aegon's reign. Aegon perished in the [[tragedy of Summerhall]].
 
 
 
Next came the sickly [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys II]], Aegon's second son. Though frail, he was wise and ruled well in his short reign of three years. [[House Blackfyre]] was finally exterminated in the male line during his reign, in the final Blackfyre rebellion known as the [[War of the Ninepenny Kings]].  
 
 
 
Jaehaerys was followed by his son, [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]], who would become known as the Mad King and King Scab because of how frequently he was cut by the Iron Throne. Aerys executed [[Rickard Stark|Rickard]] and [[Brandon Stark]] in the throne room and demanded that [[Jon Arryn]] surrender [[Eddard Stark]] and [[Robert Baratheon]] to the throne. [[Robert's Rebellion]], which erupted after Aerys's unjust executions and other atrocities, put an end to the Targaryen Dynasty on the Iron Throne after nearly 300 years. Aerys was cut down by one of his own [[Kingsguard]], Ser [[Jaime Lannister]], who became known as the [[Kingslayer]]. Robert was crowned king and the surviving Targaryens fled into exile in [[Essos]].
 
  
 
===Baratheon Dynasty===
 
===Baratheon Dynasty===
:{{Main|House Baratheon of King's Landing}}
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King [[Robert I Baratheon]] ascended to the Iron Throne in {{Date|283}}, following the death of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] during the [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Robert sat the Iron Throne, although he came to strongly dislike his kingship;{{ref|agot|33}} according to [[Donal Noye]], becoming king changed Robert, and not for the better.{{ref|aCoK|6}} Finding ruling his realm tedious,{{ref|AGOT|20}} Robert refers to the Iron Throne as "that damnable"{{Ref|agot|4}} and "monstrous uncomfortable" chair.{{Ref|agot|12}} Meanwhile, his love for tournaments and feasts beggared the realm,{{ref|AGOT|20}} and despite the fact that Aerys II had left treasure vaults overflowing with gold, Robert's spending has left the crown in debt of over six million [[Currency|golden dragons]].{{ref|AGOT|20}}
Lord [[Robert Baratheon]] of [[Storm's End]] ascended to the Iron Throne in {{Date|283}}, after successfully leading the [[Robert's Rebellion|rebellion]] against the Targaryens. The fact that Aerys Targaryen was slain by a Lannister spared Robert from being labeled a [[kingslayer]]. The dragon skulls in the throne room were replaced with hunting tapestries.
 
  
Six years after Robert's ascension, Lord [[Balon Greyjoy]] of the [[Iron Islands]], believing that King Robert's rule was still insecure, proclaimed independence for the Iron Islands and led a rebellion against the Iron Throne. He was proven wrong, and the same coalition which won Robert's Rebellion put down [[Greyjoy's Rebellion]] and repatriated the Iron Islands.
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In {{Date|289}}, Lord [[Balon Greyjoy]] of the [[Iron Islands]], proclaimed the independence of the Iron Islands and led a [[Greyjoy's Rebellion]] against the Iron Throne. The rebellion was put down within a year, after which Robert pardoned Greyjoy.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Glorious Reign}}
  
 
==Recent Events==
 
==Recent Events==

Revision as of 13:35, 6 July 2019

According to George R. R. Martin this painting is the closest to how he envisions the Iron Throne [1] - by Marc Simonetti ©
Balerion helps forge the Iron Throne - art by Lindsey Burcar ©
Workers help Balerion forge the Iron Throne
The Iron Throne from Game of Thrones

The Iron Throne is the seat of the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and is often used as a metonymic device to refer to the king's authority or to the polity born after Aegon's Conquest. The king often holds audiences and dispenses justice from atop it in the Red Keep's throne room. The chair itself is cold and hard, with many jagged edges.[2]

Only the Hand of the King may sit on the throne in the king's absence. Such privilege does not extend to regents.[3]

Appearance

See also: Images of the Iron Throne

The Iron Throne was constructed by Aegon I Targaryen, the first king of the Seven Kingdoms. Aegon the Conqueror had the throne made from the swords surrendered by his enemies. It is supposed to have taken a thousand blades to make, heated in the breath of Balerion the Black Dread. The hammering took fifty-nine days.[4]

The Iron Throne is an asymmetric monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and twisted metal. It is uncomfortable, and the back is fanged with steel which makes leaning back impossible. Aegon I had it made this way deliberately, saying that a king should never sit easy. King Aerys II Targaryen, the "Mad King," was always cutting himself upon it, and it is said that the throne itself has caused the deaths of several people.[4]

Since the construction of the Red Keep in King's Landing, the Iron Throne has been located on a high platform in the throne room within the castle. Usually, the members of the Kingsguard stand guard below. When the king is presiding, only he, his family, and his council may sit; all others must stand or kneel.[4] During the rule of the Targaryens, the throne room was decorated with the skulls of their dragons.[4]

Targaryen Dynasty

Following his conquest of six of the Seven Kingdoms in Westeros, Aegon I Targaryen proclaimed himself their king, and was crowned by the High Septon at Oldtown.[5] From the swords of his enemies, Aegon created the Iron Throne, and the dynasty he began would rule for nearly three hundred years.[5][4] The Iron Throne stood at Aegon's wooden castle, the Aegonfort, which was located at the place where he had first come to shore. The town that grew around it became King's Landing, the kingdom's new capital.[5][6] Aegon reconciled the Iron Islands under his rule in 2 AC, and continued his wars in 4 AC with the First Dornish War, in an attempt to subdue the seventh of the Westerosi kingdoms.[7]

The Iron Throne kept out of war following the conclusion of the First Dornish War in 13 AC.[7] Other wars with Dorne would follow under Aegon's successors: the Second Dornish War in 37 AC at the start of Aenys I Targaryen's reign, the Third and Fourth Dornish War during the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen,[8] and the Conquest of Dorne during the reign of Daeron I Targaryen.[9]

During Aegon's reign, one of his queens Rhaenys and Visenya Targaryen would sit on the Iron Throne while Aegon and his other sister were away from the capital for one of his progresses.[10] In 35 AC, Aegon had the Aegonfort where the Iron Throne stood torn down.[11] As construction of the Red Keep began, the Iron Throne remained where it had stood.[12]

Aegon's immediate successor, his eldest son Aenys I, faced several rebellions at the start of his reign in 37 AC, which were resolved by his bannermen and brother Maegor during the course of the year. Aenys later faced problems with the Faith of the Seven, first following his brother's polygamous marriage in 39 AC, and next after he married his own son and daughter to one another in 40 AC. The Faith rose in rebellion against the Iron Throne, eventually forcing Aenys and his family to flee King's Landing for Dragonstone. Aenys died the following year of illness.[13][12] Upon his death, his brother Maegor returned from his exile and claimed the throne over Aenys I's eldest son, Aegon, who was unable to travel to King's Landing. While Maegor took the throne, Dowager Queen Alyssa Velaryon proclaimed Prince Aegon king on Driftmark, but few came forth to support him. Called "the pretender" and "Aegon the Uncrowned", Aegon took up arms against Maegor in 43 AC after he slipped into the capital to claim the dragon Quicksilver. Aegon fell to Maegor during the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye later that year. During his six-year rule, Maegor continued to fight the Faith and did so harshly, causing the deaths of thousands. Notably, he ordered the construction of Maegor's Holdfast within the Red Keep in 43 AC. The Red Keep was completed in 45 AC, after which Maegor had all the workers killed to prevent the castle's secrets being spread.[12][14] Aenys I's youngest son Jaehaerys announced his claim to the throne at Storm's End early on in 48 AC. Maegor's main supporters flocked to Jaehaerys's side, leaving him with insufficient men to defend himself. Maegor was found dead seated on the Iron Throne by Queen Elinor Costayne hours after his last war council. The cause of Maegor's death is still debated; several potential murderers have been put forth, with some suggesting that Maegor had been killed by the throne, and others that Maegor had taken his own life.[12][15][14]

Following his death, Maegor was succeeded by his brother's youngest son, Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Jaehaerys reigned for fifty-five years.[16] He appointed his sister's eldest daughter Aerea Targaryen as his heir,[17][18] a position she held for five years (with the exception of three days during 52 AC), until the birth of Princess Daenerys.[19] The title of heir apparent was given to Prince Aemon following his birth two years later,[20] which he held until his own death in battle in 92 AC. Aemon's death caused a crisis in the succession, as his only issue was a daughter, Rhaenys. Rhaenys was pregnant upon the death of her father, and when Jaehaerys appointed Aemon's brother Baelon over Rhaenys, Rhaenys proclaimed that the king had not only passed over her, but also her "unborn son". Upon Baelon's death in 101 AC, Jaehaerys called the first Great Council at Harrenhal, to appoint his new heir. For thirteen days, the fourteen claims were discussed by the lords of the realm. The lords assembled eventually chose between Rhaenys's son Laenor Velaryon and Baelon's eldest son Viserys. The elder Viserys was chosing with the great majority of the votes.[21]

Viserys's reign gave peace and plenty to the realm. In 126 AC, after passing judgement seated on the Iron Throne, Viserys injured himself severely on the barbs. The amputation of two of Viserys's fingers, Maester Gerardys managed to save the knig's life.[22] Following the death of his second son, Viserys officially proclaimed his daughter Rhaenyra as his heir. Viserys remarried after the death of his first wife, but despite having three sons during his second marriage, he continued to view Rhaenyra as his heir.[21] At Viserys's death in early 129 AC, Aegon, his eldest son, claimed the throne, making use of Rhaenyra's presence at Dragonstone during her pregnancy. Brother and sister fought over the throne during the two and a half years that followed, in a struggle called the Dance of the Dragons. In 130 AC, Rhaenyra took King's Landing and sat the first night on the Iron Throne to accept fealty from those present at the Red Keep, wearing her armor. Regardless, Septon Eustace, one of the supporters of Aegon II, claims that Rhaenyra had cuts on her legs and the palm of her left hand once she got up from the throne, and claimed this was an indication that "the Iron Throne had spurned her".[23] Rhaenyra fled King's Landing half a year later following riots, at which point two new "kings" declared themselves during the Moon of the Three Kings: Trystane Truefyre, a young squire who took possession of the Red Keep and sat on the Iron Throne, and Gaemon Palehair, a small child.[24] Both were eventually arrested by Lord Borros Baratheon, and Aegon II Targaryen, who had by then executed Rhaenyra, retook the Iron Throne, which he held until he was killed with poison half a year later.[25] Rhaenyra's eleven year-old son Aegon III was crowned king, and married to Aegon II's daughter and only remaining child, Jaehaera Targaryen, uniting the claims.[26] When Lord Corlys Velaryon died in 132 AC, his body was placed beneath the Iron Throne for seven days.[27]

Aegon III was succeeded in 157 AC by his fourteen-year old son, Daeron I Targaryen, who was succeeded by his brother Baelor I four years later. When Baelor died in 171 AC after a forty-day fast,[28] the succession of the Iron Throne was again unclear. The claims of Baelor's three sisters were discussed, but dismissed, after which Baelor's uncle, Viserys II Targaryen, was crowned. Viserys reigned for only a year, but it said he truly ruled and preserved the land for much longer, as he had been Hand of the King during the time of his brother Aegon III's reign, as well as the reigns of his nephews Daeron and Baelor. Despite the shortness of his reign, Viserys implemented several new reforms.[29]

After Viserys II died of a sudden illness, his eldest son Aegon IV Targaryen ascended the throne, who is remembered in history as "the Unworthy". On his deathbed, Aegon IV legitimized all of his bastards, including Daemon I Blackfyre, his bastard son by his cousin Daena Targaryen. Aegon IV had previously gifted Daemon with the Targaryen sword Blackfyre, typically considered the "sword of kings".[30] This, combined with the growing Dornish influence during the reign of Aegon IV's son Daeron II Targaryen, ultimately brought forth the First Blackfyre Rebellion, in which Daemon Blackfyre fought King Daeron II Targaryen for the Iron Throne.[31]

King Daeron II Targaryen brought Dorne peacefully into the realm early on in his reign, by wedding his younger sister Daenerys to his good-brother Maron Martell, the Prince of Dorne.[31] In 196 AC, Daemon I Blackfyre announced his claim to the throne. When he died during the Battle of the Redgrass Field later that year with his two eldest sons, his remaining children fled to Essos. Four other rebellions would follow in the decades that followed. The second and third rebellion took place during the reign of Aerys I Targaryen,[32] the fourth during the reign of Aegon V Targaryen, [33] and the fifth and final rebellion as part of the War of the Ninepenny Kings during the reign of Jaehaerys II Targaryen. [34]

Following the death of his eldest son Baelor and Baelor's two sons Valarr and Matarys, Daeron II was succeeded by his second son, Aerys I Targaryen . Throughout his reign, Aerys acknowledged four different heirs: first came his brother Rhaegel.[35] After Rhaegel's death, Aerys acknowledged Rhaegel's only son Aelor as his heir, but Aelor died in 217 AC during a mishap caused by his twin sister and wife, Aelora.[35] Aerys's third heir was Aelora.[36] However, she was mad with grief and committed suicide sometime later, leaving Aerys to recognize his fourth and last heir to the throne, his youngest brother Maekar. When Aerys died in 221 AC, Maekar succeeded him.[35][37]

Maekar's reign lasted until 233 AC, when the king fell in battle fighting a rebellious lord on the Dornish Marches[37] during the Peake Uprising.[38] A Great Council was convened after Maekar's death, and his fourth son, Aegon V Targaryen, was elected as king.[37] King Aegon V perished in 259 AC in the tragedy of Summerhall,[33] and was succeeded by his second son, Jaehaerys II, who died three years later of illness. Jaehaerys was followed by his son, Aerys II. Although his reign began promising, Aerys's madness slowly grew. By 280 AC, he had become nown as the “Mad King” and “King Scab”, for he had cut himself on the Iron Throne many times.[39] In 282 AC, the Vale, North, and parts of the Stormlands and riverlands rose in rebellion against Aerys following the executions of Rickard and Brandon Stark. During the Sack of King's Landing, Aerys was cut down by one of his own Kingsguard, Ser Jaime Lannister. Following the deaths of Aerys, his heir Rhaegar, and Rhaegar's young children, and the exile of Aerys's pregnant wife Rhaella and young son Viserys, Robert Baratheon was crowned king, ending the Targaryen dynasty.

Baratheon Dynasty

King Robert I Baratheon ascended to the Iron Throne in 283 AC, following the death of King Aerys II Targaryen during the Sack of King's Landing. Robert sat the Iron Throne, although he came to strongly dislike his kingship;[40] according to Donal Noye, becoming king changed Robert, and not for the better.[41] Finding ruling his realm tedious,[42] Robert refers to the Iron Throne as "that damnable"[43] and "monstrous uncomfortable" chair.[44] Meanwhile, his love for tournaments and feasts beggared the realm,[42] and despite the fact that Aerys II had left treasure vaults overflowing with gold, Robert's spending has left the crown in debt of over six million golden dragons.[42]

In 289 AC, Lord Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, proclaimed the independence of the Iron Islands and led a Greyjoy's Rebellion against the Iron Throne. The rebellion was put down within a year, after which Robert pardoned Greyjoy.[45]

Recent Events

King Joffrey I Baratheon upon the Iron Throne - by Magali Villeneuve. © Fantasy Flight Games

A Game of Thrones

King Robert Baratheon's reign comes to end after his wife, Queen Cersei Lannister, arranges his death. The eldest son of Cersei, Joffrey I Baratheon, takes the throne. Robert had acknowledged him as a trueborn son, but the father of Cersei's children is actually her twin, Jaime Lannister. The hunting tapestries which had replaced the dragon skulls are taken down from the throne room.

After Joffrey capriciously orders the beheading of Lord Eddard Stark, the North claims independence and secedes from the Iron Throne. Joffrey's bastardy leads Robert's younger brothers, Stannis and Renly Baratheon, to put forward their own claims to the Iron Throne.

A Clash of Kings

The Seven Kingdoms are thrown into turmoil during the War of the Five Kings. Renly is assassinated and Stannis is defeated at the Blackwater. The Greyjoys enter the war out of opportunism to re-establish independence for the Iron Islands.

A Storm of Swords

After two years of bitter fighting and the death of King of the North Robb Stark in the Red Wedding, the war is believed to have largely ended. Despite Joffrey's victory, he is poisoned at his own wedding feast in the throne room and his younger brother Tommen Baratheon is crowned in his place. Tommen is controlled by his advisors: his mother, Queen Regent Cersei, and his grandfather, Tywin Lannister, who serves as Tommen's Hand of the King.

A Feast for Crows

King Tommen Baratheon and his kittens by the Iron Throne - by Magali Villeneuve ©

Following the death of Tywin, Cersei holds the Iron Throne as regent on behalf of her son, the young Tommen. However, after she re-establishes the Faith Militant, she is arrested by the Faith of the Seven for various crimes. Her uncle Kevan Lannister becomes regent in her place. King of the Iron Islands Euron Greyjoy tells the ironborn they can conquer all of Westeros.

A Dance with Dragons

Tommen continues to hold the Iron Throne under the regency of his grand-uncle, Kevin Lannister, but Stannis still maintains his claim even while in the North. The Golden Company begins their campaign to place Aegon VI Targaryen on the throne. In King's Landing, the regent is murdered by Varys.


Monarchy

Succession Law

The succession to the Iron Throne is appointive. The king may designate any person as heir to the throne, though they generally select members of the dynasty. In default of such designation, the throne passes by primogeniture. Another alternative is to summon a Great Council to decide upon the succession.

In the Great Council of 101 AC, the great lords chose a male heir through a junior male-line descent (Prince Viserys) over a male heir through a senior female-line descent (Laenor Velaryon). According to Archmaester Gyldayn, this established an iron precedent on matters of succession: that the Iron Throne could not pass to a woman, or to a male descendant of a woman (agnatic primogeniture).

Despite this, the kings still retained the right to select their heirs, and some even chose to ignore the agnatic principle. Ironically, it was also Prince Viserys, as King Viserys I, who first set aside the rule by choosing as heir his daughter by his first marriage (Princess Rhaenyra), over his son by his second marriage (Prince Aegon). This would eventually lead to the great civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, which drove both the royal family and their dragons to the brink of extinction.

List of Kings

The following kings have ruled the Seven Kingdoms with the Iron Throne as their seat:

Order Monarch Epithet Spouse/s Mode of Accession Reign Royal Lineage Heir
1 Aegon I Targaryen the Conqueror
the Dragon
Visenya Targaryen
Rhaenys Targaryen
Conquest 1 AC-37 AC Founder of the Line Aenys Targaryen
2 Aenys I Targaryen Alyssa Velaryon Succession 37 AC-42 AC Son of Aegon I Aegon Targaryen
3 Maegor I Targaryen the Cruel Ceryse Hightower
Alys Harroway
Tyanna of the Tower
Elinor Costayne
Rhaena Targaryen
Jeyne Westerling
Usurpation 42 AC-48 AC Son of Aegon I Aerea Targaryen
4 Jaehaerys I Targaryen the Conciliator
the Wise
the Old King
Alysanne Targaryen Usurpation 48 AC-103 AC Son of Aenys I Viserys Targaryen
5 Viserys I Targaryen the Young King Aemma Arryn
Alicent Hightower
Succession 103 AC-129 AC Grandson of Jaehaerys I Rhaenyra Targaryen
6 Aegon II Targaryen the Usurper Helaena Targaryen Usurpation 129 AC-131 AC Son of Viserys I Aegon Targaryen
7 Aegon III Targaryen the Dragonbane
the Unhappy
the Unlucky
the Broken King
Jaehaera Targaryen
Daenaera Velaryon
Succession 131 AC-157 AC Grandson of Viserys I Daeron Targaryen
8 Daeron I Targaryen the Young Dragon
the Boy King
Succession 157 AC-161 AC Son of Aegon III Baelor Targaryen
9 Baelor I Targaryen the Blessed
the Beloved
Daena Targaryen Succession 161 AC-171 AC Son of Aegon III Viserys Targaryen
10 Viserys II Targaryen Larra Rogare Succession 171 AC-172 AC Grandson of Viserys I Aegon Targaryen
11 Aegon IV Targaryen the Unworthy Naerys Targaryen Succession 172 AC-184 AC Son of Viserys II Daeron Targaryen
12 Daeron II Targaryen the Good Mariah Martell Succession 184 AC-209 AC Son of Aegon IV Aerys Targaryen
13 Aerys I Targaryen Aelinor Penrose Succession 209 AC-221 AC Son of Daeron II Maekar Targaryen
14 Maekar I Targaryen Dyanna Dayne Succession 221 AC-233 AC Son of Daeron II Maegor Targaryen
15 Aegon V Targaryen the Unlikely Betha Blackwood Election 233 AC-259 AC Son of Maekar I Jaehaerys Targaryen
16 Jaehaerys II Targaryen Shaera Targaryen Succession 259 AC-262 AC Son of Aegon V Aerys Targaryen
17 Aerys II Targaryen the Mad King
King Scab
Rhaella Targaryen Succession 262 AC-283 AC Son of Jaehaerys II Aegon Targaryen
18 Robert I Baratheon the Usurper Cersei Lannister Rebellion 283 AC-298 AC Great-grandson of Aegon V Joffrey Baratheon
19 Joffrey I Baratheon the Illborn Margaery Tyrell Succession 298 AC-300 AC Son of Robert I Tommen Baratheon
20 Tommen I Baratheon Margaery Tyrell Succession 300 AC-Present Son of Robert I Myrcella Baratheon (heiress presumptive)

Gallery

Rival Kings and Claimants to the Iron Throne

Quotes about the Iron Throne

Marc Simonetti ©

He spoke truly, it is a monstrous uncomfortable chair. In more ways than one.[44]

I swear to you, sitting a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one.[43]

Seat Stannis on the Iron Throne and I promise you, the realm will bleed.[46]

This is war, this is what it looks like, this is the price of the Iron Throne.[47]

Daenerys Targaryen's thoughts

They can keep their red castle and their iron chair as well.[48]

Have you ever seen the Iron Throne? The barbs along the back, the ribbons of twisted steel, the jagged ends of swords and knives all tangled up and melted? It is not a comfortable seat, ser. Aerys cut himself so often men took to calling him King Scab, and Maegor the Cruel was murdered in that chair. By that chair, to hear some tell it. It is not a seat where a man can rest at ease. Ofttimes I wonder why my brothers wanted it so desperately.[15]

By the end the Mad King had become so fearful that he would allow no blade in his presence, save for the swords his Kingsguard wore. His beard was matted and unwashed, his hair a silver-gold tangle that reached his waist, his fingernails cracked yellow claws nine inches long. Yet still the blades tormented him, the ones he could never escape, the blades of the Iron Throne. His arms and legs were always covered with scabs and half-healed cuts.[49]

Jaime Lannister's thoughts

If Daenerys is no more than a sweet young girl, the Iron Throne will cut her into sweet young pieces.[50]

I will claim the Iron Throne by myself, with your swords and your allegiance.[51]

When dead men come hunting in the night, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne?[52]

Behind the Scenes

George R. R. Martin intends the Iron Throne to be intimidating. In an interview, he referenced Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias": 'Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'[53]

References

  1. George R.R. Martin: This is what the Iron Throne REALLY looks like
  2. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 25, Tyrion VI.
  3. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 24, Cersei V.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 43, Eddard XI.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
  6. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Fire & Blood, Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I.
  8. Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
  9. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I.
  10. Fire & Blood, Three Heads had the Dragon - Governance Under King Aegon I.
  11. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings - Aegon I.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Fire & Blood, The Sons of the Dragon.
  13. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I.
  14. 14.0 14.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I.
  15. 15.0 15.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 36, Davos IV.
  16. Fire & Blood, Prince into King - The Ascension of Jaehaerys I.
  17. Fire & Blood, The Year of the Brides - 49 A.
  18. Fire & Blood, A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade.
  19. Fire & Blood, Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I.
  20. Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumps and Tragedies.
  21. 21.0 21.1 Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
  22. Fire & Blood, The Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
  23. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
  24. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown.
  25. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II.
  26. Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand.
  27. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III.
  28. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I.
  29. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II.
  30. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV.
  31. 31.0 31.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II.
  32. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I.
  33. 33.0 33.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V.
  34. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II.
  35. 35.0 35.1 35.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I.
  36. asoiaf.westeros.org: R+L=J v. 164 – Comment by Ran (December 12, 2017)
  37. 37.0 37.1 37.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I.
  38. The World of Ice & Fire, The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons.
  39. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II.
  40. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 33, Eddard VIII.
  41. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.
  42. 42.0 42.1 42.2 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
  43. 43.0 43.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 4, Eddard I.
  44. 44.0 44.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 12, Eddard II.
  45. The World of Ice & Fire, The Glorious Reign.
  46. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 47, Eddard XIII.
  47. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 61, Daenerys VII.
  48. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 71, Catelyn XI.
  49. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 16, Jaime II.
  50. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 5, Tyrion II.
  51. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 24, The Lost Lord.
  52. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 70, Jon IX.
  53. 92nd Street Y: Game of Thrones Mastermind George R. R. Martin: The World of Ice and Fire, Oct 26, 2014