Regent of Gondor

The Regent of Gondor was a title of Gondor. It was a title applied to those granted executive authority in place of a legitimate reigning king.
== Númenorean precedent ==
Before the time of Tar-Aldarion, no King had ever left the island during his reign. When Tar-Aldarion resolved to travel to Middle-earth, the Council of the Sceptre sought a regency to rule in his place. The king's father, Meneldur, refused the regency when offered, and Meneldur's cousin, Hallatan of Hyarastorni, became regent instead. Ancalimë served as regent on more than one occasion while her father voyaged.
== Gondor ==
In all the history of the Kings of Gondor, only one Regent of this kind was ever appointed, Minalcar.
Minalcar was the grandson of Atanatar II Alcarin and son of Calmacil. In the closing years of his grandfather's rule, he had become a forceful presence in the royal councils as neither of the King's sons, Narmacil nor Calmacil, showed great interest in state affairs. Just a few short years after his uncle Narmacil succeeded the King, he conferred the office of Karma-kundo on Minalcar; from that point he effectively ruled Gondor for no less than sixty-four years, though officially doing so in the King's name. Minalcar would eventually ascend to the throne of Gondor himself under his better-known name Rómendacil II.
After the death of Ondoher and his sons, Steward Pelendur ruled Gondor briefly between T.A. 1944 and 1945 until Earnil I was appointed as Ondoher's successor. The Ruling Stewards were effectively "Regents" who ruled Gondor indefinitely in the King's absence.