The Iron Throne is the ultimate symbol of power in Game of Thrones‘ Westeros, a seat forged from melted swords upon which only the King of the Seven Kingdoms or his Hand may sit. The throne is three hundred years old at the time of the show’s beginning, forged during the time of Aegon’s Conquest.
The Iron Throne is heavily fought-over, with the bulk of Game of Thrones depicting the War of the Five Kings, during which three claimants battle directly for it while others covet it from afar. Despite this, the lives of Westerosi kings are often as unpleasant as they are tragic, with the throne itself placing a harsh burden on those who sit in it.
8 The Chances Of Rebellion Are High
The world of Game of Thrones is a cruel one, where the people who scheme and fight rise high in life while others languish below them. Westeros is a fount of political machinations and power struggles, ranging from the local to the continent-wide.
In an ideal world, all in Westeros would remain loyal to the person seated on the Iron Throne. Even in the scant three hundred years since Aegon’s Conquest however, the continent has seen rebellion after rebellion. From the Faith Militant Uprising to the Blackfyre Rebellion, to the War of the Five Kings, and many, many more – few kings reign without seeing an uprising against them.
7 The Monarch’s Direct Power Is Limited
The popular impression of a monarch is a person with absolute power over their entire kingdom, who can snap their fingers in one city and be obeyed in another. This is not the case in Game of Thrones. The Seven Kingdoms are vast, occupying most of the continent of Westeros, and impossible for any central governance.
Instead, the monarch’s power comes from a feudal system. The king wields power through the lords of each of the Seven Kingdoms, who in turn have weaker lords sworn to them. The King only directly rules King’s Landing and the comparatively-small Crownlands. It is for this reason that the throne has to actually forge alliances with other lords during the War of the Five Kings, rather than just commanding them.
6 The Job Is Mostly Tedious Administration
There is certainly some glamor to being a king. Many aspire to the throne for power and to have their every need accounted for, believing it to be a life of luxury. Although it is far superior to the lot in life of many in Westeros, being monarch in and of itself is largely not endless feasting and fun.
Much of the job consists of tedious administrative matters or resolving petty disputes. Several monarchs throughout the series express disappointment and boredom with the role, and even those who give as much of their work as possible to the Small Council – such as Robert Baratheon – can’t avoid it entirely.
5 A Monarch’s Family Can’t Be Trusted
Most people like to think they can depend on their family to support them. Many monarchs on the Iron Throne, however, have found that nothing could be further from the truth. Whether for legitimate grievances or petty power plays, several kings of Westeros have been threatened by their relatives.
Family betrayals were common during the Targaryen Dynasty, but even the reigns of Robert Baratheon and other, later kings see wives plotting against husbands, brothers fighting their brothers, uncles, and their alleged nephews warring, and more.
4 A Marriage For Love Is Unlikely
In the modern era, people typically marry for good reasons. They marry because they love their partner, and they want to confirm that commitment. Historically for people in positions of power, and very much so in Game of Thrones, marriages take place for different reasons.
Although the singers and stories talk of passionate love affairs and the union of two loving souls, most marriages for nobles in Westeros – and especially the monarch – are political. Whether to seal an alliance, as part of the terms of an agreement or to reward a loyal servant, the monarch will marry for almost any other reason before they marry for love.
3 The Throne Itself Is Designed To Harm Claimants
The Iron Throne is made of almost two hundred swords melted together, but still presenting edges sharp enough to cut. Aside from the discomfort of a metal chair, many kings have been wounded by the swords due to a careless slip of posture – most notably Aerys Targaryen, who almost constantly bled in his later years as king.
This is by deliberate design. Aegon the Conqueror believed that kings should not rest easy, and so made a throne that would force them to be attentive and alert, lest they harm themselves. As such, a king has to spend hours in discomfort and tedium, without being able to relax.
2 Few Advisors Are Fully Trustworthy
Part of the appeal of Game of Thrones is the cesspool of corruption and skulduggery that is King’s Landing, the city at the center of many of the show’s storylines. Being a monarch is a difficult task, and so one might hope that advisors would be loyal and diligent – but this is rarely the case.
Other than perhaps their Hand, a king can rely on very few of their advisors fully. Nearly everybody in King’s Landing has their own agenda of some sort, whether it is as simple as self-advancement or as deep as loyalty to another power. This is especially prevalent in the Small Council, which sees some of the most intricate political back-stabbings in the entire continent.
1 Everything Is A Balancing Act
Due to Westeros’s feudal system, despite the king, in theory, having absolute power, many other forces can threaten them. From the Faith of the Seven’s profound influence and even military power, the ability for every lord to raise an army, the threat of foreign powers, and even the potential devastation of a peasant uprising.
As such, nearly everything a monarch does has to be geared to avoid angering any of these groups. Favoring one lord may see that lord’s enemies resent the Throne, failing to uphold the Faith may see its adherents preach against the king, and favoring either lords or peasants often results in the dissatisfaction of the other. The monarch has to be careful with everything they do to avoid any potential threats – a balancing act many find impossible.
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