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 Duncan Targaryen, as depicted by Karla Ortiz in The World of Ice & Fire | ||||
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| Aliases | ||||
| Title | Prince of Dragonstone (renounced) | |||
| Allegiance | House Targaryen | |||
| Culture | Crownlands | |||
| Born | 220–224 AC[2] | |||
| Died |
259 AC Summerhall[3] | |||
| Father | King Aegon V Targaryen | |||
| Mother | Queen Betha Blackwood | |||
| Spouse | Lady Jenny of Oldstones[4] | |||
| Books |
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Prince Duncan Targaryen, also known as Duncan the Small and the Prince of Dragonflies,[1] was a member of House Targaryen. He was the first son of King Aegon V Targaryen and his Queen Betha Blackwood,[5] but gave up the throne for love.[6]
Appearance Character
Duncan was as stubborn as his parents, Betha Blackwood and Aegon V Targaryen.[5]
History
Prince Duncan was the first child and eldest son born to then-Prince Aegon "Egg" Targaryen and his wife Betha Blackwood. He was presumably named for his father's dearest friend, Ser Duncan the Tall, and so was nicknamed "Duncan the Small"[1] (however, when asked about it, George R. R. Martin refused to answer).[7] In 233 AC, Duncan's grandfather King Maekar died in the Peake Uprising, and through the decision of the Great Council of 233 AC, Maekar's fourth son Aegon became king of Westeros. Duncan, Aegon's eldest son, became Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne.[5]
Jenny of Oldstones
In 237 AC, Prince Duncan was betrothed to a daughter of Lyonel Baratheon of Storm's End, one of several advantageous betrothals arranged by his mother at that time. However, in 239 AC, while traveling in the riverlands, Duncan encountered and fell in love with and married a "strange, lovely, and mysterious" peasant woman known as Jenny of Oldstones.[5]
Despite the fact that King Aegon had married for love himself, and was a friend to the smallfolk and had practically grown up with them, he could not approve of the marriage of the heir to the throne to a commoner, and did all he could to have it undone. But Duncan stubbornly refused to put Jenny aside, even when the High Septon, Grand Maester, and small council joined together to insist that he choose between the Iron Throne and his wife. Rather than give up Jenny, Duncan abdicated as Prince of Dragonstone, and gave up his claim to the throne in favor of his brother Jaehaerys. After this, Duncan became known as "the Prince of Dragonflies".[5][6][N 1]
Unfortunately, even Duncan's abdication could not restore the peace. Duncan's spurned betrothed had been greatly grieved when he broke their betrothal. Her father, Lord Lyonel Baratheon, was so enraged by the shame and dishonor brought to House Baratheon that he renounced his fealty to the Iron Throne and declared himself Storm King.[4] A short, bloody rebellion followed, which only ended when Ser Duncan the Tall of the Kingsguard defeated Lord Lyonel in single combat. King Aegon also betrothed his youngest daughter Rhaelle, Duncan's sister, to Lord Lyonel's heir, and she was sent to Storm's End.[5]
Eventually Jenny of Oldstones was accepted at court, where she was politely called "Lady Jenny".[5]
Duncan's defiance of their father to follow his heart in love would influence his younger brother Jaehaerys to follow in his footsteps a year later and secretly marry their sister Shaera.[5]
Later life
Prince Duncan defeated Ser Barristan Selmy in the tourney at Blackhaven in 247 AC, when Barristan was only a ten-year-old squire and participating in the tourney as a mystery knight. Prince Duncan took pity on the small knight and jousted against him when no one else would, giving Barristan the nickname "the Bold".[1][9] Years later, in 253 AC, Duncan was defeated by Barristan at the winter tourney at King's Landing.[1]
As trouble was brewing in 258 AC on Essos with the Band of Nine, Prince Duncan famously said that crowns were being sold nine a penny after learning of the band's pact to create their own kingdoms.[5]
In 259 AC, Prince Duncan died in the tragedy at Summerhall along with his father, King Aegon V Targaryen, his namesake Ser Duncan the Tall, and several other members of the royal court.[10][3][11]
Legacy
Jenny of Oldstones and the Prince of Dragonflies were a favorite subject of singers for many years.[5] There is at least one song about Duncan and Jenny's romance.[12] "Jenny's song" is most likely one of them.[13][14][15]
A young Catelyn Tully and Petyr Baelish once pretended to be Jenny and Duncan when they were at Oldstones.[14]
Recent Events
A Storm of Swords
While passing through Oldstones on the way to the Twins for the Red Wedding, Catelyn Stark remembers Jenny's song and playing at being Jenny and the Prince of Dragonflies with Petyr Baelish.[14]
Returning to the White Sword Tower for the first time as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister reads Barristan Selmy's entry in the White Book. It records his defeat as a mystery knight by Prince Duncan as a young boy, as well as his later victory over Duncan in a different tourney six years later.[1]
Daenerys Targaryen asks Barristan Selmy if there was any good that could be said of her father, King Aerys II Targaryen. Barristan says that there is, of Aerys and of others that came before him, including her grandfather Jaehaerys and his brother.[16][N 2]
A Feast for Crows
While he is imprisoned in a sky cell at the Eyrie for his alleged murder of Lysa Arryn, Sansa Stark hears Marillion sing many sad songs, including one about Jenny of Oldstones and the Prince of Dragonflies.[12]
A Dance with Dragons
Barristan Selmy remembers how Prince Duncan jousted with him and declared him a "bold boy" at the tourney at Blackhaven, earning him the famous epithet "Barristan the Bold."[9]
Barristan Selmy worries about the danger of Daenerys Targaryen's love for Daario Naharis and thinks of many loves of her Targaryen kin in generations past that resulted in turmoil and bloodshed for Westeros. Of Duncan, he recalls how he loved Jenny of Oldstones so much that he cast aside his claim to the crown.[6]
Quotes
The Prince of Dragonflies loved Jenny of Oldstones so much he cast aside a crown, and Westeros paid the price in corpses.[6]
Afterward Prince Duncan helped him to his feet and removed his helm. "A boy," he had proclaimed to the crowd. "A bold boy."[9]
—Barristan Selmy remembering the tourney at Blackhaven, where Duncan proclaimed him Barristan the Bold
Family
Behind the Scenes
In a cut passage from a June 2004 draft of A Feast for Crows prior to the split into two books, Tyrion Lannister quotes a complete version of Duncan's quip that was the namesake of the War of the Ninepenny Kings: "The Tyroshi are selling crowns nine for a penny, I hear."[17] Although cut from both A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, where much of this draft was published as A Dance with Dragons, Tyrion III,[18] a paraphrased version of Duncan's quip was eventually published in The World of Ice & Fire.[5]
Notes
- ↑ The timeline of Duncan's abdication is ambiguous. The World of Ice & Fire first states that he gave up his claim to the throne before Lyonel's rebellion,[5] but later states that peace was only restored after his renouncement.[4] According to The World of Ice & Fire co-author Elio García, the first statement is "more correct", while the second can be read as "eliding that Duncan gave up his claim fruitlessly" and noting that "it was the end state of things when peace was restored".[8]
- ↑ Barristan Selmy does not specify which of Jaehaerys II Targaryen's two brothers he speaks of here.[16] However, he likely means Jaehaerys's older brother Duncan rather than younger brother Daeron, given that Barristan has established history with Duncan[1] but is not known to have been acquainted with Daeron.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 67, Jaime VIII.
- ↑ See the Duncan Targaryen calculation.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Aegon V Targaryen.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Stormlands: House Baratheon.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 67, The Kingbreaker.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: Duncan the Small and the Young Starks (August 6, 2000).
- ↑ asoiaf.westeros.org: The ASOIAF wiki thread – Comment by Ran (May 5, 2025)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 59, The Discarded Knight.
- ↑ The Citadel: FAQ: What happened at Summerhall
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 10, Sansa I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 43, Arya VIII.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 45, Catelyn V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Epilogue.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 71, Daenerys VI.
- ↑ Reddit: Secrets of the Cushing Library: The Grand Finale by u/gsteff
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 8, Tyrion III.