Lord Commander of the Kingsguard

Ser Brienne of Tarth, the incumbent.

"You attack the Faith you attack the Crown. Anyone who attacks the crown is unfit to serve as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard."

―Tommen Baratheon to Jaime Lannister

The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard is the head of the Kingsguard, appointed by the king himself. In the case of a female sovereign (and thus a Queensguard rather than a Kingsguard), the title is Lord Commander of the Queensguard.

The king usually appoints a new Lord Commander from one of the current serving members of the Kingsguard, though there may have been exceptional cases in which a knight was instantly appointed to the Kingsguard as well as the position of Lord Commander.

The Lord Commander wears the same uniform armor as the regular members of the Kingsguard, with no difference in appearance or regalia. Given that there are only seven Kingsguard members at any one time, including the Lord Commander himself, it is usually an easy matter to keep track of their identities at court and on the battlefield.

The position was founded, along with the Kingsguard itself, by Aegon the Conqueror, who united the Seven Kingdoms three hundred years before the War of the Five Kings.

The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard also holds a seat on the king's Small Council by virtue of his office. His role on the council is to give military advice on land-based warfare (separate from the Master of Ships, who handles naval affairs). During the reign of King Robert Baratheon, the position was stripped of its Small Council seat. The seat however, was restored to the Small Council under King Bran Stark.

The current Lady Commander of the Kingsguard is Ser Brienne of Tarth.

Ser Loras Tyrell was the Lord Commander of King Renly Baratheon's rival Kingsguard before his death.

Known Lords Commander

Lord Commander	Monarch	Period
Ser Ryam Redwyne	Jaehaerys I Targaryen	?–103 AC
	Viserys I Targaryen	103–112 AC
Ser Harrold Westerling		112–132 AC
Ser Criston Cole	Aegon II Targaryen	132–? AC
Prince Aemon Targaryen	Daeron I Targaryen	?
	Baelor I Targaryen	?
	Viserys II Targaryen	?
	Aegon IV Targaryen	?
Ser Gerold Hightower	Aerys II Targaryen	258–281 AC
Ser Barristan Selmy	Robert I Baratheon	281–298 AC
	Joffrey I Baratheon	298 AC
Ser Jaime Lannister		298–301 AC
	Tommen I Baratheon	301–303 AC
Unknown/Vacant		303 AC
	Cersei I Lannister	303–305 AC
	Daenerys I Targaryen	305 AC
Ser Brienne of Tarth	Bran I the Broken	305 AC–

Lords Commander to rival claimants

• Ser {Steffon Darklyn} (132 AC), under Rhaenyra Targaryen.
• Ser {Loras Tyrell} (298–299 AC), under Renly Baratheon.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the leaders of rival Kingsguards, such as those of Renly Baratheon and Daenerys Targaryen, have also used the rank of "Lord Commander". Loras Tyrell was briefly the Lord Commander of the Rainbow Guard, as Renly called his Kingsguard.

Unlike several other offices on the Small Council, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard cannot be lawfully dismissed, or at least not totally dismissed from the Kingsguard, because their vows are taken for life. Theoretically a king might appoint one of the other six Kingsguard members as the new Lord Commander to replace him, but it is unknown if this has ever happened.

While reading through the White Book, Jaime notes that most of the Kingsguard served adequately, but few people remember their names generations later. The only ones people remember centuries later are those who were the best (great heroes such as Aemon the Dragonknight), and those who were the worst (either traitors to the crown or those who were derelict in their duty, broke their vows and fathered children).

Known Lords Commander

• Ser Corlys Velaryon, under Aegon I Targaryen.
• Ser Addison Hill, under Aegon I Targaryen.
• Ser Gyles Morrigen, under Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
• Ser Ryam Redwyne, under Jaehaerys I and Viserys I Targaryen.
• Ser Harrold Westerling, under Viserys I Targaryen.
• Prince Aemon Targaryen, under Daeron I, Baelor, Viserys II, and Aegon IV Targaryen.
• Ser Gerold Hightower, under Aerys II Targaryen.
• Ser Barristan Selmy, under Robert Baratheon and Joffrey Baratheon.
• Ser Jaime Lannister, under Joffrey and Tommen Baratheon.

Unknown reign

• Ser Robert Flowers
• Ser Alyn Connington
• The Demon of Darry

Lords Commander to rival claimants

• Ser Loras Tyrell, under Renly Baratheon. (styled Lord Commander of the Rainbow Guard)
• Ser Jorah Mormont, under Daenerys Targaryen.
• Ser Barristan Selmy, under Daenerys Targaryen.

External links

• Lord Commander of the Kingsguard on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms)