Prince or Princess is a title of nobility used in Westeros, Essos and the Summer Islands.
Cultre
The Rhoynar civilization was formed by independent city-states, each of which was ruled by a Prince or Princess.[1]
Among the Free Cities, the Prince of Pentos,[2] as well as the three Princes of Lorath, are the figurehead rulers of their respective cities.[3] True power lies in the Magisters.
In Westeros, the title is usually conferred to the children of kings.[4]
In Dorne, the ruler is styled Prince of Dorne, following the tradition of the Rhoynar immigrants, imposed by Nymeria during the unification of the region under House Martell. The offspring of the Prince are also styled "Prince" or "Princess".[1]
Some of the rulers of the Summer Islands, like Jalabhar Xho, style themselves "Princes".[5]
History
Antiquity
Garin, the Prince of Chroyane, united the Rhoynar nobility in a grand alliance against the Valyrian Freehold, which included Nymeria, the Princess of Ny Sar. After they were defeated by the Volantenes and their Valyrian kin at Volantis, Princess Nymeria fled Essos on board ten thousand ships, eventually arriving in Dorne, where she married Lord Mors Martell of the Sandship, forming House Nymeros Martell, and naming her husband "Prince of Dorne", using the Rhoynish term instead of the Westerosi title of "king".[6]
Targaryen Era
Dorne successfully resisted House Targaryen during Aegon's Conquest and First Dornish War.[7][8] When Dorne was peacefully incorporated into the Seven Kingdoms during the reign of Daeron II Targaryen, the Dornishmen received concessions from the Iron Throne, including the right to retain the Dornish royal title of prince, while the rulers of the other regions of the Seven Kingdoms had been reduced to wardens or lords paramount during the Conquest and forced to give up their royal titles and crowns.[9]
During the Targaryen dynasty, the heir to the King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men held the title "Prince of Dragonstone",[4][10] and one of his other sons held the title "Prince of Summerhall".[9] The rest of the children of the monarch were styled Prince or Princess.
During his time as Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing, Daemon Targaryen called himself the "Prince of the City".[11] Daemon also considered himself the heir to his older brother, King Viserys, who had no living sons, so he coveted the title Prince of Dragonstone, which the king refused to grant.[11]
Ever since the deposition of the Targaryens during Robert's Rebellion, the title "Prince of Dragonstone" has not been used, as the castle became the fief of the Lord of Dragonstone, with only the monarch's children now being referred to as Prince or Princess. In the later stages of the Rebellion, however, Viserys Targaryen, who had been crowned on Dragonstone prior to its fall,[12] named his young sister Daenerys Targaryen, as his sole heir, the Princess of Dragonstone.[13]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
Following the death of King Robert Baratheon, Prince Joffrey summons the council and commands that they make arrangements for his coronation as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.[14]
A Clash of Kings
Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone and the younger brother of the late King Robert, has his supporters spread the message that Joffrey and his siblings, Prince Tommen and Princess Myrcella, are bastard abominations, and then presses his own claim to the Iron Throne.[15][16]
Theon Greyjoy takes Bran and Rickon Stark prisoner in the capture of Winterfell and sits on the throne within the castle's Great Hall.[17] His sister Asha later mocks him for his inability to properly hold Winterfell, calling him Prince of Fools.[18]
A Storm of Swords
After Bran wargs as Summer and thinks of himself as a prince of the woods, Jojen Reed makes Bran tell him who he is. Bran says he is the Prince of Winterfell.[19]
After noticing other people at Queenscrown, Bran tells himself not to be afraid, as he was the Prince of Winterfell.[20]
A Dance with Dragons
During the wedding of Ramsay Bolton and Arya Stark, Theon is chosen to present "Arya" (actually Jeyne Poole) in marriage to Ramsay, who mocks Theon as Prince of Winterfell before his bedding with Jeyne,[21] and a guard later mocks Theon as the Prince of Stink.[22]
Known princes
- Prince of Dragonstone, the title of the heir apparent to the Iron Throne[11]
- Prince of Summerhall, a title[9]
- Prince of Dorne, the ruler of Dorne[1]
- Prince of Pentos, the titular ruler of Pentos[23]
- Princes of Lorath, a council of three princes rules Lorath[24]
- Prince of Winterfell, a title held by certain nobles in Winterfell.[18][20]
- Prince of Chroyane[6]
- Prince of Ny Sar[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 1, Tyrion I.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Lorath.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Summer Isles.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II.
- ↑ The Sons of the Dragon.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Rhaella Targaryen.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 3, Daenerys I.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 49, Eddard XIV.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Prologue.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 10, Davos I.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 46, Bran VI.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 56, Theon V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 9, Bran I.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 40, Bran III.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 37, The Prince of Winterfell.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 51, Theon I.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Pentos.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Lorath.