Hand of the King or Queen

> What's the line? 'The King shits, and the Hand wipes.'
>
> Ser Jaime Lannister

The **Hand of the King** or **Hand of the Queen**, in cases of a ruling female monarch, or simply the **King's Hand** or **Queen's Hand**, is the most powerful appointed position in the Seven Kingdoms, second only to the king or queen in authority and responsibility. The Hand is the monarch's chief advisor, appointed and authorized to make decisions in their name. The Hand is the highest-ranking member of the small council, and leads meetings of the council as proxy for the monarch when they are absent.

## Culture

Duties of the Hand include commanding the monarch's armies, drafting laws, dispensing justice, and generally managing the day-to-day running of the kingdom. The Hand may act on the monarch's behalf when they are indisposed, and sit the Iron Throne while doing so. The Hand also sits on the small council and will run the council if the ruler is not present.

The office typically makes the Hand the second-most powerful person in the kingdom next to the monarch, though some Hands have had the reputation of ruling their monarchs.

It is considered by some to be a difficult and unglamorous job of great responsibility. A popular saying goes, "What the king or queen 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 the Tower of the Hand within the Red Keep. Their badge of office always includes a hand, though each Hand can design their own. Rogar Baratheon and Brynden Rivers used brooches of gold and iron, respectively, and a silver clasp has also been used. Several Hands have used chains, such as a necklace of linked golden hands. Servants of the Hand might wear the emblem of a hand.

## History

During the Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms by House Targaryen, King Aegon I Targaryen proclaimed his half-brother, Orys Baratheon, to be "my shield, my stalwart, my strong right hand." Because of Aegon's description, Orys is regarded to have been the first Hand of the King. Orys resigned after losing a hand in the First Dornish War.

Lord Osmund Strong oversaw construction of the walls of King's Landing, and Lord Alyn Stokeworth and Queen Visenya Targaryen oversaw construction of the Red Keep.

King Maegor I Targaryen executed Lord Lucas Harroway and his kin after his daughter, Queen Alys Harroway, was accused of infidelity.

Lord Rogar Baratheon was seen as the true power in the realm while serving as Hand during the minority of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Septon Barth, considered by some as the wisest man to have served as Hand, began the Great Code in 55 AC.

Ser Otto Hightower served as Hand to Jaehaerys in the king's final years, and Otto continued in the position for King Viserys I Targaryen. Because Otto encouraged Viserys to name as his heirs the children of the king's second wife, Otto's daughter Alicent, he was replaced as Hand by Lord Lyonel Strong. Otto was reinstated after Lyonel's death at Harrenhal. First Otto and then Ser Criston Cole served King Aegon II Targaryen as Hand during the Dance of the Dragons. Prince Jacaerys Velaryon named Lord Corlys Velaryon as Hand of the Queen for Rhaenyra I Targaryen, Aegon's rival. Lord Cregan Stark was briefly Hand during the Hour of the Wolf.

Ser Tyland Lannister, Lord Unwin Peake, Lord Thaddeus Rowan, Ser Marston Waters, and Lord Torrhen Manderly all served as Hand during the contentious regency of Aegon III.

Lord Ambrose Butterwell failed to prevent the First Blackfyre Rebellion and his successor, Lord Hayford, was killed by Lord Gormon Peake during the war. Prince Baelor Targaryen was a popular Hand, but he was killed during the tourney at Ashford Meadow. Lord Brynden Rivers, on the other hand, was mistrusted as Hand, and his appointment angered Maekar Targaryen, Prince of Summerhall. Brynden called a Great Council after King Maekar's death, and King Aegon V Targaryen sent him to the Wall for having orchestrated the death of Aenys Blackfyre.

At the age of twenty, Ser Tywin Lannister became the youngest man to serve as Hand. It was said throughout the Seven Kingdoms that it was Tywin who truly ruled, not King Aerys II Targaryen, and Tywin eventually resigned after his heir, Ser Jaime Lannister, was appointed to the Kingsguard. Aerys dismissed first Lord Owen Merryweather for failing to prevent Robert's Rebellion, and then Lord Jon Connington for his failure at the Battle of the Bells. Aerys burned Lord Qarlton Chelsted for his opposition to the king's wildfire plot, but Aerys and Lord Rossart were then killed by Jaime while attempting to enact their plot during the Sack of King's Landing.

King Robert I Baratheon named Lord Jon Arryn as his Hand.

## List of known Hands

Viserys II Targaryen

Unknown

171 - 172 AC

Aegon IV Targaryen

Lord Bracken

172 - Unknown. Father of two of the king's mistresses.

Lord Butterwell

Unknown

Lord Lucas Lothston

178 AC. Husband of a king's mistress, father to a second of the [[|Jeyne Lothston|king's mistresses]].

Lord Jon Hightower

Unknown

Daeron II Targaryen

Lord Ambrose Butterwell

Unknown - 196 AC. Removed for failing to contain the First Blackfyre Rebellion.

Lord Hayford

196 AC. Died at the Battle of the Redgrass Field.

Prince Baelor Targaryen

196 - 209 AC. Died after a blow to the head suffered in the trial of seven during the tourney at Ashford Meadow.

Prince Valarr Targaryen (Possibly)

209 AC. Died during the Great Spring Sickness.

Aerys I Targaryen

Brynden Rivers

209 - 221 AC

Maekar I Targaryen

221 - 233 AC

Aegon V Targaryen

Unknown

233 - 259 AC

Jaehaerys II Targaryen

Lord Ormund Baratheon

259 - 260 AC

Edgar Sloane

Unknown - 262 AC

Aerys II Targaryen

Ser/Lord Tywin Lannister

262 - 281 AC. Resigned his post for Aerys's slights against him.

Lord Owen Merryweather

281 - 282 AC. Removed from office and exiled for failing to contain Robert's Rebellion.

Lord Jon Connington

282 - 283 AC. Removed from his office and exiled after losing the Battle of the Bells.

Lord Qarlton Chelsted

283 AC. He resigned his position over Aerys's plan to burn King's Landing and was subsequently burned alive for it.

Wisdom Rossart

283 AC. Was Hand for a fortnight. Named after the Battle of the Trident.

Lord Jon Connington
283 - Present

## Quotes

> The King's Hand should have a hand. I will not have men speaking of the King's Stump.
>
> Orys Baratheon to Aegon I Targaryen