King in the North

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King in the North and King of Winter are ancient titles held for thousands of years by House Stark of Winterfell.[1][2][3] They were the last kingdom of the First Men and continued to rule the North after the Andals invaded and took over the southern kingdoms.

History

House Stark traces their descent from Bran the Builder who is said to have lived in the Age of Heroes. The last King in the North was Torrhen Stark, who bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror during the War of Conquest, thus making the North part of the Seven Kingdoms controlled by the Iron Throne.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

The title is revived during the War of the Five Kings by Robb Stark, who breaks away from the Iron Throne after the murder of his father, Lord Eddard Stark. Rejecting House Baratheon of King's Landing, the northern and river lords assembled at Riverrun declare Robb to be the King in the North.[2]

A Storm of Swords

Because he is childless and his younger brothers, Bran and Rickon, are believed dead, King Robb worries that Tyrion Lannister will claim Winterfell through his marriage to Sansa Stark. Robb decides to legitimize his bastard half-brother, Jon Snow, and names him as heir in his will.[4][5] Before Jon can be informed of Robb's decision, however, the king is murdered at the Twins during the Red Wedding.[6] One of Robb's betrayers, Lord Roose Bolton, is named Warden of the North by the Iron Throne.

Crown

Copyrighted work by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG)

The crown of the King in the North was shaped as an open circlet of hammered bronze incised with runes of the First Men, surmounted by nine black iron spikes in the shape of longswords.[7]

Bronze and iron are stronger than gold and silver. The old Kings of Winter wore such a sword-crown.[8]

- King Robb Stark

Known Kings in the North

No precise lineage of Kings in the North is known, but the individuals listed below are supposed to be in rough chronological order.

Line of succession

References and Notes