  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, strong drug use, extremely traumatic themes, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
| “ | If he does not bestir himself soon, it may be too late. This is no longer a game for two players, if ever it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger... the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark’s the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he’ll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger’s meddling. Lord Tywin will take that for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste, I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air forever. | „ |
| ~ Varys to Illyrio Mopatis, alerting him that the royal house is losing control of its own vassals since the de facto ruler Jon Arryn died. |
House Baratheon of King's Landing, or simply referred to as the Iron Throne or the Crown as a faction, are some of the main antagonists of the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.
It is a cadet branch of House Baratheon of Storm's End, and the ruling royal family of the Seven Kingdoms, ever since House Targaryen was overthrown in Robert's Rebellion. It was founded by Robert I Baratheon, the former Lord of Storm's End and former Lord Paramount of the Stormlands after he was crowned king. Like the Targaryens before them, the head of House Baratheon of King's Landing is the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.
While Cersei claims her children to be Robert's, they are in fact bastards born of incest with her twin brother, Jaime Lannister. After Robert's death, most Baratheon soldiers joined with Renly Baratheon, leaving Lannister soldiers as the main army. In essence, House Baratheon of King's Landing is only a puppet house, making House Lannister the de-facto ruling family of the Seven Kingdoms.
Currently, its reign is disputed by House Baratheon of Dragonstone and House Targaryen. It also didn't receive the support of the Iron Islands, which still remain independent, as they follow their own king of House Greyjoy, and are openly attacking and invading the realm of the Iron Throne.
Overview[]
House Baratheon of King's Landing is a branch of House Baratheon that was founded by King Robert Baratheon, after he overthrew the Targaryen Dynasty during a rebellion, and afterward became King of the Seven Kingdoms.
The sigil of the cadet branch initially displayed a crowned, black stag on a golden background, which was essentially the same as the sigil of House Baratheon of Storm's End. After his ascension to the throne, King Joffrey I Baratheon, the apparent eldest son of King Robert, added a golden lion on a red background on the side of the Baratheon sigil to honor his his mother's side of the family as well.
Just as Joffrey's reign had begun, his uncle Stannis Baratheon sent ravens throughout Westeros, informing the lords of the realm that all of Cersei's children, including King Joffrey, were not Robert's offspring, but rather bastards conceived through the incestuous relationship between Queen Regent Cersei and her twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister. Stannis received this information from Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell and the Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon, shortly before he was executed for treason on Joffrey's command. Because of this newly-received knowledge, Stannis therefore declared himself the rightful king as Robert's oldest male relative from House Baratheon.
However, Robert and Stannis's younger brother, Renly Baratheon, had already declared his claim to the iron throne while Robert was on his deathbed, after he was gored by a boar during a hunt. Renly justified it by claiming that Joffrey was a mad monster, who is unfit to rule and is also a puppet of his mother Cersei. Renly merely used the rumors about Joffrey's parentage to strengthen his own position.
While both Renly and Stannis contested their respective claims and argued over who would make s better king, almost all the lords of the Stormlands, who were sworn to House Baratheon, aligned themselves with either Renly or Stannis, while a few lords remained loyal to King Joffrey, except for a few who felt more allegiance to the throne itself rather than the king who sat upon it, and all of them remained in their seats without sending military support in the Crownlands and the Riverlands. In response to this, Stannis proceeded to call them "the cravenly ones", who sit and wait on who will be the winner, before openly declaring their allegiance.
Thus, ever since King Robert's death, House Baratheon of King's Landing had no direct connection to the historical House Baratheon, with which it only shared the name. Currently, the house has been reduced into nothing but an unofficial cadet branch of House Lannister, which House Tyrell tries make its own "cadet branch" in the two houses' political struggle for power. Recently, the Faith of the Seven is trying to rule over both, now that they have the military power and public support to do so again, as the King's authority was not meant to be above that of the High Septon, who speaks for the Gods.
Following the Battle of the Blackwater, in which Stannis made a failed attempt to siege King's Landing, the Stormlands have not since been allowed to keep a united military strength so long as Stannis leaves. Ever since Renly's death, who was killed by a Shadow Assassin, the military forces of the Stormlands was divided, with the majority declaring for Stannis while a minority joined House Tyrell against him. As for the rest, they just returned to their homes. A minority of lords from the Reich and their respective contingents joined Stannis as well. During the retreat from Blackwater Bay, only a reduced portion of Stannis's army could make it to the fleet of pirate Salladhor Saan, who also supports Stannis, leaving the majority of their forces behind. The majority of the surviving supporters of Stannis (stormlanders, crownlanders, and Reachmen) bent the knee to King Joffrey, with the exception of a minority, who chose execution and openly ridiculing the boy king.
A portion of the army of the Stormlands that once served Renly and Stannis were added by Tywin Lannister into the army of Lord Randyll Tarly, as the Lord of Horn Hill marched outside the capital shortly after Stannis's defeat, with an army mainly from the Reach to continue the war against rebel forces in Tywin's place. The rest of the stormlanders, Reachmen, and Crownlanders that fought for Stannis remained at court in King's Landing, where many of them attended King Joffrey's wedding and later some attended Tommen's more private wedding, after Joffrey was poisoned.
Afterwards, many of them were added into the respective hosts of Mace Tyrell and Paxter Redwyne to take both Dragonstone and Storm's End from Stannis, while the rest were sent to fight in the Riverlands with Jaime Lannister. Currently, some lords of the Stormlands remained in their homes while those who were neutral since the beginning, remained in waiting. Moreover, many of them keep serving House Baratheon of King's Landing back at court. An example being Ser Ronnet Connington, who first served Renly, then Stannis, and then Joffrey and Tommen, and was part of Jaime's host in the Riverlands. Aurane Waters, a bastard of House Velaryon, who served in Stannis's fleet, managed to charm Cersei, who named him master of ships, but after Aurane built a new royal fleet, he betrayed Tommen and escaped from the capital, stealing Cersei's entire new fleet, and sailing to the Stepstones as a new pirate lord.
The remaining stormlanders and crownlanders that managed to escape to Dragonstone continue to fight for Stannis, with some being stormlords, such as Lord Robin Peasebury. Most of the forces of the Stormlands with Stannis have lords who now serve House Baratheon of King's Landing, while they fight under other family members of those lords, or serve Stannis on their own. At least two houses of the Reach are known to be still with Stannis, one of them being House Florent, who actually make over half of Stannis's southron forces, meaning most of them are Reachmen, with at least some stormlanders serving the Florents individually.
Due to this split situation, the Stormlands are not united and lack a ruler. While recently Stannis has lost Dragonstone, as he expected, Storm's End is still held by a garrison sworn to Stannis, but each castle and town in the Stormlands is currently ruling itself under its respective noble house, waiting to see how the situation in the realm develops. An Iron Throne army, commanded by Mace Tyrell and Mathis Rowan came to restore order in the Stormlands in Tommen's name, currently laying siege to Storm's End (although Mace returned to King's Landing with part of the host to deal with his daughter's trial with the Faith, and left the siege to Rowan).
The lack of a united military strength and ruler made the Stormlands an easy target for the Iron Throne's new opponent from Essos; the Golden Company, who are currently invading the kingdom with their forces, conquering it in the name of Aegon VI Targaryen, led by Jon Connington and Harry Strickland. They also conquered the island of Estermont, ruled by House Estermont of Greenstone, and took the house's members as captives to use against Tommen and Stannis, who are family relatives through Stannis's mother, Cassana Estermont. The Golden Company are planning to make Storm's End their new base of operations, and Princess Arianne Martell and her entourage are to join them at Storm's End, where Aegon's supporters will have to clash against the respective followers of Tommen and Stannis. Meanwhile in King's Landing, Ronnet Connington swears he has nothing to do with his cousin's invasion, and Griffin's Roost, House Connington's seat in the Stormlands, has been conquered by Jon, who is now styling himself Lord of Griffin's Roost and is holding Ronnet's children and relatives captive.
In the television series Game of Thrones, House Baratheon of King's Landing became extinct with the death of Robert's legal last son, King Tommen I Baratheon.
Government[]
Like with House Targaryen, House Baratheon kept a small council as the ruling governing body of the realm, with numerous various underlings and lords taking care of different administrative duties. The council is a small group of advisers, each with his own area of expertise, who aid the monarch on the Iron Throne. If the King is below 16, the age of manhood, the small council must name a ruling regent as Protector of the Realm. Janos Slynt served as the Commander of the City Watch since the death of Manly Stokeworth years before.
King Robert I Baratheon's Small Council[]
Hand of the King:
- Lord Jon Arryn (283–298 AC; poisoned by his wife, Lady Lysa Arryn, to prevent him from sending their only son, Robert, to be fostered on Dragonstone)
- Lord Eddard Stark (298 AC; was named regent and Protector of the Realm by the King, but was arrested and eventually executed for treason)
Grand Maester:
- Pycelle (283–298 AC)
Master of coin:
- Lord Petyr Baelish (289–298 AC)
Master of laws:
- Lord Renly Baratheon (unknown-298 AC)
Master of ships:
- Lord Stannis Baratheon (unknown-298 AC)
Master of whisperers:
- Lord Varys (283–298 AC)
Lord Commander of the Kingsguard:
- Ser Barristan Selmy (283–298 AC)
King Joffrey I Baratheon's Small Council[]
Before the Battle of the Blackwater. Janos Slynt, Lord of Harrenhal and commander of the City Watch was eventually granted a seat in the council, until his arrest and exile to the Wall. He was then replaced by Ser Jacelyn Bywater.
Queen Regent:
- Cersei Lannister (298-299 AC)
Hand of the King:
- Lord Tywin Lannister (since 298 AC; fighting in Joffrey's name in the riverlands)
Acting Hand of the King:
- Lord Tyrion Lannister, on behalf of Lord Tywin (299 AC)
Grand Maester:
Master of coin:
- Lord Petyr Baelish
Master of laws:
Vacant
Master of ships:
Vacant
Master of whisperers:
- Lord Varys
Lord Commander of the Kingsguard:
- Ser Barristan Selmy (298 AC)
- Ser Jaime Lannister (298 AC-299 AC, fighting in Joffrey's name in the riverlands, then imprisoned at Riverrun, and subsequently released)
Officeless seat:
- Lord Janos Slynt (299 AC)
King Joffrey I Baratheon's and King Tommen I Baratheon's Small Council[]
After the Battle of the Blackwater. Lord Tywin Lannister, who assumes power, names his loyal knight and commander, Ser Addam Marbrand, the new Commander of the City Watch, succeeding Lord Jacelyn Bywater, who perished in the Battle of the Blackwater.
Hand of the King:
- Lord Tywin Lannister (298-300 AC; de-facto regent)
Queen Regent:
- Cersei Lannister (299-300 AC; regency nominal only and simply the Queen Dowager)
Grand Maester:
- Pycelle (298-300 AC)
Master of coin:
- Lord Petyr Baelish (298-299 AC; only under Joffrey)
- Lord Tyrion Lannister (299-300 AC)
Master of laws:
- Ser Kevan Lannister (299-300 AC)
Master of ships:
- Lord Mace Tyrell (299-300 AC)
Master of whisperers:
- Lord Varys (298-300 AC)
Lord Commander of the Kingsguard:
- Ser Jaime Lannister (298-300 AC; nominal only during Joffrey's reign, due to being a released captive escorted by Brienne of Tarth and Ser Cleos Frey; returned only after Joffrey's death; role ultimately unfulfilled for Joffrey, and only started for Tommen)
Advisors:
- Lord Mathis Rowan (299-300 AC)
- Lord Paxter Redwyne (299-300 AC)
- Prince Doran Martell (299-300 AC, nominally only)
- Prince Oberyn Martell (299-300 AC, representing Doran, due to Doran's health problems)
- The High Septon (299-300 AC)
King Tommen I Baratheon's Small Council under the Queen Regent[]
After Tywin Lannister's murder. With him and Tyrion out of the picture, Cersei Lannister retakes the regency she initially had after the death of her husband, King Robert, much to the disapproval of her uncle Kevan. Cersei offers Kevan the position of Hand of the King, but the latter tells her that he will only accept the offer if she agrees to return to Casterly Rock and honor Tywin's wish for her to find a new husband. After an argument, Kevan resigns from the small council. Cersei abandons the traditional titles made by the Targaryens in favor of those of the Free Cities' civil servants and nobles tasked with dispensing administrative, legislative, and executive duties, in which she hires cronies and lapdogs. She only keeps the title of master of whisperers. All members only serve in 300 AC, which is still the current year. Ser Addam Marbrand continues to wearily serve as Commander of the City Watch, until at the first opportunity resigned from his position to join the host of his childhood friend Ser Jaime back to the riverlands. Cersei proceeded to name Ser Osfryd Kettleblack as the new Commander of the gold cloaks to replace Addam.
Regent:
- Queen Cersei Lannister
Hand of the King:
- Ser Harys Swyft (until demoted to lord treasurer)
- Lord Orton Merryweather (Harys' successor)
Grand Maester:
Lord justiciar:
- Lord Orton Merryweather (until promoted to Hand of the King; office vacant afterwards)
Lord treasurer:
- Lord Gyles Rosby (until his death in 300 AC, by his long-suffered illness, possibly lung cancer)
- Ser Harys Swyft (Gyles' successor, demoted from his Hand's office)
Grand admiral:
- Lord Aurane Waters
Master of whisperers:
- Lord Qyburn
Lord Commander of the Kingsguard:
- Ser Jaime Lannister
Advisor:
- Nymeria Sand (representing Prince Doran Martell; not present yet)
King Tommen I Baratheon's Small Council under the Lord Regent[]
After the Faith of the Seven arrests Cersei Lannister, Grand Maester Pycelle strips her off her regency and offers it to her uncle Kevan, who accepts it and returns to the capital to govern in King Tommen's name. To escape the Faith, Orton Merryweather and his wife Lady Taena flee back to the Reach, while Aurane Waters betrays the Crown after completing the new royal fleet of dromonds, taking it for his own and sailing away, allegedly to the Stepstones as a pirate. Pycelle and Lord Swyft also fire Ser Osfryd Kettleblack from his position of Commander of the City Watch and replace him with Humfrey Waters, promoting him from his position as captain of the Dragon Gate. Kevan then restored the old titles of the small council, but also decided to keep those from the Free Cities. Ser Balon Swann is currently expected to be on his way back from Dorne with Princess Myrcella Baratheon and her retinue, although not before he, Captain Areo Hotah, and Obara Sand are done hunting down the alleged traitor Ser Gerold Dayne, the Darkstar.
Regent:
- Ser Kevan Lannister (300 AC; murdered by Lord Varys and his "little birds")
Hand of the King:
- Lord Mace Tyrell (current)
Grand Maester:
- Pycelle (300 AC; murdered by Lord Varys and his "little birds"; office currently vacant)
Master of laws and justiciar:
- Lord Randyll Tarly (current)
Master of coin and lord treasurer:
- Ser Harys Swyft (currently at Braavos as the Iron Throne's envoy for the Iron Bank)
Master of ships and grand admiral:
- Lord Paxter Redwyne (currently on his way back to the Arbor to repel the Ironborn invasion)
Master of Whisperers:
- None allowed in Kevan's small council. However, Qyburn is still allowed to work with the whisperers and control them as the Iron Throne's head spymaster.
Lord Commander of the Kingsguard:
- Ser Jaime Lannister (currently missing; last seen at Pennytree in early winter; currently targeted by the Brotherhood without Banners)
Advisor:
- Nymeria Sand (representing Prince Doran Martell; still on her way to King's Landing with Ser Balon's party)
Kingsguard Members[]
| “ | Eddard: The Kingsguard— Varys: A paper shield. Try not to look so shocked, Lord Stark. Jaime Lannister is himself a Sworn Brother of the White Swords, and we all know what his oath is worth. The days when men like Ryam Redwyne and Prince Aemon the Dragonknight wore the white cloak are gone to dust and song. Of these seven, only Ser Barristan Selmy is made of the true steel, and Selmy is old. Ser Boros and Ser Meryn are the queen's creatures to the bone, and I have deep suspicions of the others. No, my lord, when the swords come out in earnest, you will be the only true friend Robert Baratheon will have. |
„ |
| ~ Varys warning Eddard Stark that Robert Baratheon's life is in danger and his household weak. |
Robert I Baratheon's Kingsguard (283-298 AC)[]
Queen Cersei Lannister exercised her influence over the naming of new Kingsguard members throughout Robert's reign. She spoke against Ser Richard Horpe, who was passed over in favor of someone else. Lord Stannis Baratheon thinks she was not to blame for the choice, as Horpe is far too fond of killing.
- Ser Barristan Selmy, also known as Barristan the Bold. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
- Ser Jaime Lannister, also known as the Kingslayer.
- Unknown predecessor of Ser Arys Oakheart.
- Ser Arys Oakheart, named during 290 AC to replace the unknown predecessor.
- Ser Boros Blount.
- Ser Mandon Moore, a completely emotionless and unsettling man. Regarded by Jaime as the most dangerous of the Kingsguard after himself. Brought to King's Landing by Lord Jon Arryn.
- Ser Meryn Trant.
- Ser Preston Greenfield.
Joffrey I Baratheon's Kingsguard (298-300 AC)[]
- Ser Barristan Selmy. Short-lived Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Also known as Barristan the Bold. Dismissed by King Joffrey I on the grounds of old age.
- Ser Jaime Lannister, also known as the Kingslayer. Elevated to Lord Commander after Selmy's dismissal. Was only active during the early stages of the War of the Five Kings, as one of the commanders of the armies of the Westerlands.
- Sandor Clegane, also known as the Hound. Raised to the Kingsguard and filling Barristan's vacant spot. The first Kingsguard in history to not be a knight. Deserted during the Battle of the Blackwater.
- Ser Meryn Trant.
- Ser Arys Oakheart, sent to Dorne as Princess Myrcella Baratheon's sworn shield.
- Ser Boros Blount, now mocked as Boros the Belly. Removed for surrendering Prince Tommen Baratheon when ambushed on the road to Rosby by thugs (secretely sent by Tyrion Lannister). Reinstated by Lord Tywin Lannister after the Battle of the Blackwater, to fill the vacant place left by Sandor Clegane.
- Ser {Preston Greenfield}, killed during one of the bread riots in King's Landing in 299 AC, while trying to rescue the High Septon.
- Ser Osmund Kettleblack, a former sellsword. Raised to the Kingsguard to replace Boros Blount.
- Ser Balon Swann, raised to the Kingsguard in place of the late Preston Greenfield. His father is one of the neutral stormlords, and his older brother ended up serving all three Baratheon branches, first fighting for Renly, then for Stannis, and then for Joffrey after being captured at the Blackwater.
- Ser {Mandon Moore}, killed during the Battle of the Blackwater in 299 AC. Did not display any emotion even while dying. Not a single direct family member has been located in the Vale after his death, as the rest of House Moore appears to be distant to him.
- Ser Loras Tyrell, also known as the Knight of Flowers. Raised to the Kingsguard in place of the late Mandon Moore.
Tommen I Baratheon's Kingsguard (300 AC-Present)[]
- Ser Jaime Lannister, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Also known as the Kingslayer. Sent to pacify the riverlands. Has installed a garrison of the Iron Throne at Harrenhal on behalf of Lord Petyr Baelish, and peacefully lifted the sieges of Riverrun and Raventree Hall. Reportedly last seen camped at Pennytree.
- Ser Loras Tyrell, also known as the Knight of Flowers. Sent to end the siege of Dragonstone against King Stannis's garrison, the enemies being led by Ser Rolland Storm. The assault was successful, but violent and bloodthirsty. Reportedly gravely injured and possibly dying due to disfigurement from boiled oil thrown by Stannis's combatants.
- Ser Osmund Kettleblack, imprisoned by Lord Regent Kevan Lannister in 300 AC, under the charge of fornication with the Queen Dowager Cersei Lannister.
- Ser Balon Swann, sent to Dorne to deliver Ser Gregor Clegane's skull to Sunspear, and to escort Princess Myrcella Baratheon and her entourage back to King's Landing.
- Ser Meryn Trant.
- Ser Boros Blount, mocked as Boros the Belly, named food taster for King Tommen I.
- Ser {Arys Oakheart}, killed by Captain Areo Hotah in Dorne at the Greenblood in 300 AC, after participating in a failed coup by Princess Arianne Martell, who was also his lover.
- Ser Robert Strong, raised to the Kingsguard in place of the late Arys Oakheart. Rumors about his true identity have arisen amongst those at court.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- During King Robert's reign, the traditional sigil of House Baratheon was used for both its cadet branches.
- Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Balon Swann are the only members of the Kingsguard of House Baratheon of King's Landing that truly have the full approval as worthy members. While the other members are deemed good, excellent, or decent fighters, the devotion toward the king and the protection of his family is missing, making them unworthy, as they are all either biased or not devoted enough. The deadly Ser Mandon Moore had all the requirements for a good Kinsguard, but his extremely cold, ruthless, and unchivalrous behavior made him an unfit and bad example for the order. Ser Jaime Lannister dreams to restore the Kingsguard by its old standards and attempts to discipline his men the best he can, trying to command the same way his previous superiors such as Ser Gerold, Ser Arhur, and Ser Barristan did.
