Hand of the King

Tyrion Lannister, acting as Hand of the King, wears the necklace of linked hands.
© Fantasy Flight Games

The Hand of the King is the king's chief advisor and executor of his command in the Seven Kingdoms. Duties of the Hand include commanding the king's armies, drafting laws, dispensing justice, and generally managing the day-to-day running of the kingdom. The Hand may act on the king's behalf when he is indisposed, and sit the Iron Throne while doing so. The Hand also sits on the small council and will run the council if the king is not present.

After the War of Conquest Orys Baratheon served as the first ever Hand of the King to Aegon I. The title of hand derives its name from Aegons description of Orys as...

...My shield, my stalwart, my strong right hand

The office typically makes the Hand the second most powerful man in the kingdom next to the king, though some Hands had the reputation of ruling their kings. It is considered by some to be a difficult and unglamorous job of great responsibility. A popular saying goes, "What the king dreams, the Hand builds," but the lowborn say, "The king eats, and the Hand takes the shit." Many able men have failed in the office throughout history.

The Hand resides in a tower of the Red Keep called the Tower of the Hand. His badge of office always includes a hand, though each Hand can design his own. A necklace of hands linked into a chain is one possible badge. Servants of the Hand wear the emblem of a hand.

List of Known Hands

During the reign of King	Hand of the King	Period and Notes
Tommen Baratheon	Mace Tyrell	300 AL.
	Orton Merryweather	300 AL - 300 AL.
	Harys Swyft	300 AL - 300 AL.
	Tywin Lannister	2nd term 300 AL - 300 AL. Served as Hand under three different kings, more than any other Hand.
Joffrey Baratheon	Tywin Lannister	2nd term 298 AL - 300 AL.
	Tyrion Lannister	Was acting hand during his father's Tywin Lannister 2nd term, while he was campaigning in the Riverlands.
Robert Baratheon	Eddard Stark	298 AL.
	Jon Arryn	283 AL - 298 AL.
Aerys II Targaryen The Mad King	Lord Rossart	283 AL. Was Hand for less than a fortnight.
	Qarlton Chelsted	283 AL. He bravely resigned his position over Aerys plan to burn King's Landing and was subsequently burned alive for it.
	Jon Connington	283 AL
	Owen Merryweather	282 AL (?) - 283 AL
	Tywin Lannister	+/- 262 AL - 282 AL (?)
Jaehaerys II Targaryen	Unknown	259 AL - 262 AL.
Aegon V Targaryen	Unknown	233 AL - 259 AL.
Maekar I Targaryen	Unknown	221 AL - 233 AL.
Aerys I Targaryen	Brynden Rivers	209 AL - 221 AL. (?) - In the end, he was stripped of office by Maekar I and sent to the wall by King Aegon V.
Daeron II Targaryen	Baelor Breakspear	196 AL - 208 AL.
	Lord Hayford	196 AL.
	Ambrose Butterwell	? - 196 AL.
Aegon IV Targaryen	Lord Butterwell	?
Viserys II Targaryen	Unknown	171 AL - 172 AL.
Baelor I Targaryen	Prince Viserys	161 AL - 171 AL.
Daeron I Targaryen	Prince Viserys	157 AL - 161 AL.
Aegon III Targaryen	Unknown	131 AL - 157 AL.
Aegon II Targaryen	Criston Cole
	Otto Hightower
Viserys I Targaryen	Otto Hightower	?-129 AL
	Lyonel Strong	First consort to Rhaenyra Targaryen; it is unknown how long he served as Hand.
Jaehaerys I Targaryen	Septon Barth	Served as Hand for over Forty years.
Maegor I Targaryen	Unknown	42 AL - 48 AL
Aenys I Targaryen	Prince Maegor	37 AL - 42 AL
Aegon I Targaryen	Orys Baratheon	1 AL - ?. First ever Hand of the King.

Hand of the king brooch, from the TV Series

Time unknown

A list of some of the worst Hands, Whose names are remembered as a warning to future generations.

• Septon Murmison ? - ?
• Myles Smallwood ? - ?
• Ser Ryam Redwyne ? - ?

Hands of Claimants to the Iron Throne

• Lord Mace Tyrell, for Renly Baratheon before Renly's death.
• Lord Alester Florent, for Stannis Baratheon, later removed and executed for treason.
• Lord Davos Seaworth, for Stannis Baratheon
• Ser Barristan Selmy for Daenerys Targaryen
• Lord Jon Connington for Aegon VI

Quotes

The Hand of the King was the second-most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms. He spoke with the king’s voice, commanded the king’s armies, drafted the king’s laws. Robert was offering him a responsibility as large as the realm itself. It was the last thing in the world he wanted.

- Ned