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The Hand of the King, or King's Hand, is a senior position of government and authority in the Seven Kingdoms. The position of the Hand is somewhat analogous to that of a Prime Minister: he chairs the small council and acts for and speaks with the authority of the King on the Iron Throne. The Hand is typically considered to be the second-most-powerful position in the kingdom.

Appearances[]

A hand is often used as the symbol of the Hand of the King, such as on the wax seals of letters. Hands of the King often wear a badge of office shaped like a hand, such as a brooch or a gold necklace with a repeated hand design.

Responsibilities[]

The amount of power each Hand wields varies depending on the king. Some kings are very hands-on in governance and in this case the Hand acts as a facilitator and advisor. In many cases, the king has no interest in the small decisions and day-to-day running of the kingdom, and in this case the Hand wields immense and semi-autonomous power.

The Hand's most noticeable authority is chairing meetings of the small council, discussing and debating policies and deciding which matters need to be brought to the king's attention. The Hand may also sit on the Iron Throne, should the king delegate the role to them.

History of the position[]

It is unknown if the position of King's Hand existed amongst the independent kingdoms, was a Valyrian tradition, or if it was a new position created by the Targaryen dynasty when they took control of Westeros.

Known Hands of the King[]

Hands to Claimants

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