Regent

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A regent is in charge of ruling a realm when a king, lord, or ruling lady is underage, or incapable of ruling due to injury or illness. The regent's service normally ends when the ruler comes of age on their sixteenth name day, or when the ruler recovers from their injury. Royal regents have also taken the title "Protector of the Realm", a title usually reserved for the king. A regent is often the young ruler's parent or other close relative.

History

Septon Robeson acted as regent for the newborn son of the late Lord Damon Hightower.[1] A member of House Tyrell served as regent for the young King Garland VI Gardener.[2]

Queen Sharra Arryn was the regent of the Vale for her young son Ronnel Arryn, King of Mountain and Vale, during the War of Conquest.[3][4]

Queen Alyssa Velaryon served as Queen Regent during the first two years of the reign of her son, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, who was fourteen when he came to the throne in 48 AC.[5][6] While Jaehaerys was still unmarried with no heirs but his young nieces, Queen Alyssa and her second husband Rogar Baratheon, the Hand of the King, worried that should anything happen to Jaehaerys, his sister Queen Rhaena Targaryen would be an unsuitable regent for her daughter, Aerea.[7] After Jaehaerys eloped with his sister Alysanne in 49 AC, there was a bitter conflict between the Queen Regent and the Hand over what to do about it, with Rogar suggesting putting Jaehaerys aside and naming Aerea the new queen; however, the small council supported the Queen Regent.[8] Jaehaerys chose not to announce his marriage to Alysanne until after he reached his majority in 50 AC, so that he would not appear to be a boy who had wed in defiance of his regent's wishes.[8]

While Lord Rogar Baratheon was absent from Storm's End to fight the Third Dornish War in 61 AC, his brother Garon served as regent for Rogar's young son Boremund. Garon continued to serve as regent after Rogar's death in 62 AC.[9]

During the minority of Lady Jeyne Arryn, Lord Yorbert Royce served as her regent and Lord Protector of the Eyrie and the Vale of Arryn. In that capacity, he attended the Great Council of 101 AC in her stead.[10]

After Lord Rickon Stark died in 121 AC, his brother Bennard served as regent for Rickon's son Lord Cregan Stark, until his coming of age in 124 AC. Bennard was slow to surrender his power to his nephew, and Cregan chafed at the limits imposed on him. In 126 AC, Lord Cregan rose up against his uncle, imprisoned Bennard and his sons, and took the rule of the north into his own hands.[11]

In 129 AC, at the start of the Dance of the Dragons, the mother of the infant Lord Lyonel Tyrell was regent for the Reach.[12][13] During Lyonel's minority, his mother, castellan, and steward, acting as his regents, thought better of their support for King Aegon II Targaryen and decided that House Tyrell would remain neutral for the remainder of the war.[14][15]

During the Dance of the Dragons, when King Aegon II Targaryen was severely wounded during the battle at Rook's Rest and was incapacitated for a year, his brother Prince Aemond Targaryen served as Prince Regent.[12][14]

After the Dance of the Dragons, Lady Johanna Westerling and her father, Lord Roland Westerling, served as regents for her young son Loreon Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock. Lady Elenda Caron was regent for her infant son, Royce Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End.[16]

In 131 AC, Aegon III Targaryen became king at the age of ten. The regency of Aegon III featured a council of seven regents.[16] Regents were replaced as they resigned or died, the last three being chosen by lot at the Great Council of 136 AC.[17] Aegon greatly chafed under the control of his regents, his royal decisions and appointments set aside or ignored by them.[18] In late 136 AC, the regents and the Hand of the King, Lord Torrhen Manderly, planned a royal progress to celebrate the king's coming of age, but Aegon coldly dismissed his regents and Hand on his name day, and canceled the progress.[19]

When Aegon III died in 157 AC, his eldest son, Daeron I Targaryen, was only fourteen years old when he took the throne. His uncle and Hand, Prince Viserys, chose not to insist on a regency while the king was in his minority, perhaps because of Daeron's charm and genius, or perhaps because of his memory of what had transpired during the regency of Daeron's father.[20]

In 212 AC, Gerold Lannister served as regent for his young niece, Lady Cerelle Lannister, but she died less than a year later.[21]

At the Great Council of 233 AC to determine the successor of King Maekar I Targaryen, only a few lords spoke up for Prince Maegor, son of Maekar's second son Aerion, as an infant king would have meant a long, contentious regency.[22]

In 281 AC, the great Tourney at Harrenhal was announced. Some believed that Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was the secret sponsor of the tourney, with the intent to gather an informal Great Council to discuss how to deal with the madness of his father, King Aerys II Targaryen, possibly by means of a regency or a forced abdication. Some of Aerys's advisors suggested that he should disinherit his "disloyal" son, and name his younger brother, Prince Viserys, as heir to the Iron Throne instead. As Prince Viserys was only seven years old, his eventual ascension would mean a regency, where these advisors would rule as regents.[23] However, Robert's Rebellion put an end to these schemes.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Lady Lysa Arryn rules the Vale of Arryn as regent for her young son, Lord Robert Arryn.[24]

When Lord Eddard Stark leaves Winterfell for King's Landing, his wife Lady Catelyn is left as regent for her son Robb.[25]

In the will of King Robert I Baratheon, Lord Eddard Stark is named Lord Regent to Joffrey I Baratheon,[26] but his regency never transpires. Robert's widow, Cersei Lannister, declares herself Queen Regent to Joffrey after Eddard is arrested.[27]

A Clash of Kings

Cersei's control over Joffrey is tempered by her father Tywin, Joffrey's Hand of the King, and her brother Tyrion, Tywin's representative in King's Landing.[28]

A Feast for Crows

Cersei continues serving as Queen Regent for the new king, Tommen I Baratheon, after the deaths of Joffrey and Tywin, and the flight from the capital by Tyrion. Ser Kevan Lannister rejects the office of Hand of the King when Cersei refuses to make him Regent.[29]

The death of Lysa Arryn leads to her second husband, Lord Petyr Baelish, consolidating his role as regent for his step-son Robert Arryn, in his role as Lord Protector of the Eyrie and the Vale of Arryn.[24]

A Dance with Dragons

Kevan Lannister is made Lord Regent to Tommen by Ser Harys Swyft and Grand Maester Pycelle, after Cersei's imprisonment by the Faith of the Seven.[30]

Quotes

The Hand serves. The regent rules until the king is of age.[31]

Sentiment may be forgiven in a mother, but not in a regent, and never in a king.[8]

I am the Queen Regent. Until my son shall come of age, all of you serve at my pleasure. Including the Hand of the King.[8]

Lord Stackspear, Lord Grandison, Lord Merryweather, I thank you for your service. Consider yourselves free to go. I shall have no further need of regents.[19]

Aegon III Targaryen, on his sixteenth name day

References

  1. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Oldtown.
  2. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: House Tyrell.
  3. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
  4. Fire & Blood, Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I.
  5. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I.
  6. Fire & Blood, Prince into King - The Ascension of Jaehaerys I.
  7. Fire & Blood, The Year of the Three Brides - 49 AC.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Fire & Blood, A Surfeit of Rulers.
  9. Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
  10. Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon – A Question of Succession.
  11. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son.
  12. 12.0 12.1 The Princess and the Queen.
  13. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
  15. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Fire & Blood, Aftermath - The Hour of the Wolf.
  17. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III.
  18. Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Fire & Blood, The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency.
  20. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I.
  21. The World of Ice & Fire, The Westerlands: House Lannister under the Dragons.
  22. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I.
  23. The World of Ice & Fire, The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring.
  24. 24.0 24.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 23, Alayne I.
  25. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 6, Catelyn II.
  26. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 47, Eddard XIII.
  27. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 57, Sansa V.
  28. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 3, Tyrion I.
  29. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 3, Cersei I.
  30. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 54, Cersei I.
  31. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 29, Tyrion VII.