Great Council

A Great Council is a council formed among the lords and ladies of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to determine the King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men when the line of succession to the Iron Throne is unclear. Great Councils are called upon and dissolved once the next monarch is chosen to inherit the crown. They are similar to the kingsmoots of the Ironborn.
==History==
===House of the Dragon: Season 1===
In the late reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, a Great Council was summoned at Harrenhal to choose the Old King's successor. Two of the most popular candidates were his grandchildren Viserys and Rhaenys. Viserys was ultimately chosen and named Prince of Dragonstone, as Rhaenys's status as a woman made her less favorable in the eyes of the present lords. When Jaehaerys died, Prince Viserys was crowned King Viserys I as the fifth ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.House of the Dragon | Official Website for the HBO Series | HBO.com
===Game of Thrones: Season 8===
After the assassination of Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow is taken prisoner by the Unsullied. An assembly is ultimately convened with some of the remaining high lords and ladies of Westeros gathering in the Dragonpit of the ruined King's Landing with their armies outside the city. Grey Worm brings Tyrion out to the council to determine his and Jon's fates, but Tyrion suggests that the decision cannot be left to Grey Worm or the nobles but instead to the king or queen. However, with the position vacant and with the Iron Throne having been melted, Yohn Royce points out that they do not currently have a monarch. Tyrion suggests that they, as the most powerful men and women in Westeros, choose the king or queen, which Grey Worm allows, turning the gathering into the Great Council of 305 AC. Sam takes this a step further, suggesting that the smallfolk choose their ruler, but the nobles laugh this notion off. On Tyrion's prompting, Bran is chosen as the new King of the Andals and the First Men. Tyrion declares that no longer will the crown be inherited, but instead chosen permanently by Great Councils. Sansa asks her brother to allow the North to be independent, which he agrees to, turning the Seven Kingdoms into the Six Kingdoms."The Iron Throne"
==In the books==
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, there has not been a Great Council called upon in the timeline of the books themselves, but there have been three Great Councils called upon previously, as well as numerous (but failed) attempts to convene Great Councils. Two were called upon when the inheritance of the throne was unclear under House Targaryen, while the third was called on to determine the regent of the underage king.
According to The World of Ice & Fire, Rhaegar Targaryen, aware of his father's growing madness, allegedly attempted to call an informal Great Council during the Great Tourney at Harrenhal, possibly for the purpose of a regency or a forced abdication. Aerys, however, was forewarned by Varys, and attended the tourney.
In A Clash of Kings, following the unsuccessful parley between Renly and Stannis, Catelyn suggests to Renly that he, Stannis and Robb call for a Great Council, assemble lords of the Seven Kingdoms and let them choose who shall rule them. Renly laughs at that suggestion.
As Season 8 has surpassed the timeline of the books and is based on a general outline of the two forthcoming novels, it is not currently known if a Great Council will be gathered and assembled in the books.
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Terms
es:Gran Consejo
fr:Grand Conseil
pt-br:Grande Conselho
zh:大议会