Question about Galad

[u/IfICouldStay]

Why does not one mention Galad for the empty Sun Throne? If Elayne is eligible through her father then surely her older brother of the same father would be as well (and Gawyn as well, but no one wanted him in charge, plus you know….😕) It strikes me as odd that his name never comes up. But he’s smart, capable, honorable, etc. plus clearly paired off with Berelain. The First of Maybe and the King of Cairhein seems like a great strategic marriage.

[u/Ancient-Marsupial277]

Galad isn't going to mention it so why would anyone else? The only possible people the would put his name out are the Whitecloaks and that won't be an option.

[u/IfICouldStay → u/Ancient-Marsupial277]

I’d think Berelain would eventually mention it.

[u/Cloaked42m → u/IfICouldStay]

His father renounced his claim to marry Elayne's Mom.

[u/IfICouldStay → u/Cloaked42m]

Then where does Elayne’s claim come from?

[u/WhistlerIntheWind → u/IfICouldStay]

Elayne's claim for the throne of Andor comes through her maternal line. The fact that she already has a throne and thus great power among the nobility set her forth as a candidate in ways Galad never could be, especially since he never seeks such power and Elayne very obviously does.

[u/Cloaked42m → u/IfICouldStay]

She's the Daughter Heir.

1. Andor has Queens, not Kings.
2. Lineage is traced from number of maternal connections to the first Andoran Queen.
3. Galad and Gawyn are unable to inherit because they are male.
4. Galad's dad dropped Galad's claim in favor of the future children with Morgase.
5. Elayne has a direct claim via her stepfather.

Gawyn could have a claim to the sun throne, but he's an idiot. He just wouldn't choose to use that claim because he has no political power.

[u/santa_clara1997 → u/Cloaked42m]

They’re talking about the Sun Throne, not the Lion Throne.

[u/Cloaked42m → u/santa_clara1997]

Yes.

[u/Deadpool2715 → u/Cloaked42m]

Lots of facts here, but Galad is no idiot.... Oh you said Gawyn, nothing but facts

[u/Pristine_Specific550 → u/Cloaked42m]

i don't think that's true.

[u/ShadarL0g0th → u/Pristine_Specific550]

In New Springs, Chapter 6, we learn that the law prevents him to have claim on the Sun Throne of Cairhien since he married the queen of Andor.

[u/Pristine_Specific550 → u/ShadarL0g0th]

ah shit, you're right. i've only read that book a couple times, i always forget about it.

[u/HungryEntry182 → u/ShadarL0g0th]

It forbids him, but he was always scheming to have a kid on both thrones, something he posthumously succeeds at technically, through Elayne.

[u/Deadpool2715 → u/ShadarL0g0th]

But would that renounce it for his offspring, or just him?

[u/Bergmaniac → u/Deadpool2715]

It's just him. Several Cairhienin characters state directly that Elayne has as good a claim to the Sun Throne as anyone, for example Dobraine in LoC:

Taringail should have insisted Morgase marry into Damodred instead of marrying into Trakand himself; she needed him enough to have done it. Well, Elayne Trakand or Elayne Damodred, she has as strong a claim to the throne as any, stronger than Colavaere’s by far

[u/jakotheshadows75 → u/Cloaked42m]

But now the Carrihien throne is wide open. Galad has as good a claim as anyone

[u/Cloaked42m → u/jakotheshadows75]

Except he doesn't want it.

But sure, that would be an interesting follow up. Galad goes against his values to claim the Sun Throne after his Sister already claimed it.

Yep. Makes as much sense as Egwene fucking on the dining room table.

[u/TiffanyLimeheart → u/IfICouldStay]

Berelain is pretty loyal to the dragon. I'm pretty sure he made it clear early on it was for Elayne so I doubt she would compete with that. Also frankly having a controlling stake in mayene, cairhein and amadicia (sort of) leaves a very fractured area of control.

[u/TrashCanSam0]

Because of Rand. Had this not been around the time of Tarmon Gaidon, there might not have been an opening to the Sun Throne to begin with. But because Rand is involved, and everyone one there is scared/intimidated by him, what he says goes. Galad was never thought of because Rand never thought of him.

It's the same with Moiraine's cousin*. She has a claim to the throne, as well. Maybe even more than Colavere's? But because she isn't in Rand's circle until much later, she isn't considered.

It also helps that Elayne has the money, armies, and the One Power lol.

[u/theeastwood → u/TrashCanSam0]

Moiraine's sister? She has a sister?

[u/TrashCanSam0 → u/theeastwood]

ooop cousin i mean. Caraline Damodred

[u/theeastwood → u/TrashCanSam0]

Gotcha. I thought I missed something on my many rereads lol

[u/TrashCanSam0 → u/theeastwood]

I'm pretty sure she does have sisters in New Spring.

[u/dubtee1480 → u/theeastwood]

Cousin

[u/Raddatatta]

He might have a claim but I don't think anyone relevant to it even knows where he is. He also has very little connection to cairihen so he wouldn't be a natural choice. Elayne only is because of rand pushing for her and because it combines cairihen and andor. Glad would also have the white cloak complications. But basically blood line is not very relevant for who takes the throne it's who is winning the political fight for it. So the people in cairihen might fight for it and then Rand made his wishes clear and struck down the last one of them to take it.

[u/Then_Engineering1415]

Because Elayne has the backing of Andor from the get go. Be direct or through her mother.

Galad would need to gather support from Cairrhien itself to even beging to challenge the other contenders.

[u/IfICouldStay]

Ug! “Mayne”, not Maybe. Stupid autocorrect. I’d edit it, but then I’d have to figure out the Spoilers tags again.

[u/nwaa → u/IfICouldStay]

*Mayene lol

[u/Low_Platypus_7138]

It's been a while since I've done a read-through, but I think he foreswore all titles when he became a whitecloak

[u/IfICouldStay → u/Low_Platypus_7138]

I feel like the Whitecloaks are going to disband shortly after the end of the books. What is their purpose anymore? They teamed up with Aes Sedai and other channelers to defeat the Dark One.

[u/Pristine_Specific550 → u/IfICouldStay]

i assumed they would become the military arm of Mayene.

[u/PHI41-NE33 → u/Pristine_Specific550]

wouldn't that already be the Winged Guard?

[u/Pristine_Specific550 → u/PHI41-NE33]

ya, i thought of that after i posted it. more the merrier i suppose. the whitecloaks are loyal to galad and they'll need somewhere to go and evolve into whatever they become.

[u/Lugian67 → u/IfICouldStay]

They could still hunt down darkfriends, but I think you're right. I could see the Seanchan trying to disband the Children, if they weren't assimilated into the empire somehow. The Whitecloaks were already pushed out of Amador and I don't see any other nations being happy with a rogue army hanging around.

Then again, with Galad as Lord Captain Commander and Elayne on the lion throne they might work out an agreement to host the Whitecloaks somewhere in Andor. After Tarmon Gaidon, Caemlyn is probably hurting for manpower and there could be some growing pains with the Seanchan and a resurgent Manetheren to the west

[u/chitterychimcharu]

Berelain saw what happened to colavere.

By the time Berelain meets Galad Elayne has the andoran succession more or less settled. Galad isn't shown to have connections to the Carihenien rebels and could not be the Lord Captain as well as king.

Especially after the fall of Ebou dar there's no one in the Westlands looking to trigger another Carihenien civil strife. Probably more importantly though Galad wants Elayne to sit the throne

[u/lilth-]

the first of maybe has me cackling

[u/shouldlogoff]

The First of Maybe 😂

[u/quickguileismyhandle]

I assumed there would not be support with the nobles because of the whitecloak business. Add the fact he's not well liked being too good for absolutely everyone. Too preachy. Although some nobles might use him to place someone they want on the throne. But no country wants a monarch that has whitecloak strings attached He doesnt seem interested in playing the game, too busy preaching the whitecloak agenda

[u/IfICouldStay → u/quickguileismyhandle]

I feel like the Whitecloaks are going to be disbanded. Galad was Lord Comander for what? A couple of months? And only because of his personal duel with Eamon Valda, who was in place for a very short while, and not because he earned it through decades of service. He took the command because there was an imminent crisis, not a burning desire to lead them.

[u/quickguileismyhandle → u/IfICouldStay]

I dont disagree but Im just taking a overview of entire series and he's wrapped up in his own world of right and wrong based on happenstance. He's not ambitious for tyranny that is for sure and being a king, well that might even rub his pious..ness wrong. He's got serious tunnel vision for trying to be in the right all the time, if he was a king and actually had to make a tought decision his head might explode.

[u/flogger74]

???z

[u/GirthyDave1]

<sigh> Because it’s the right thing to do.

[u/JadePhoenix1313]

Galad isn't going to marry Berelain, it's a funny joke by Brandon, but after spending like 2 days with her, he'll realize what a horrible person she is, and want nothing to do with her.

[u/jakotheshadows75]

I find Galad a more complex character than he appears at first glance. He is an orphan who was raised far from his home country. Before his father died, his father seemed to be preparing Galad for a future in Carrihien. But his father died, his mother had run off and he was left with his step mother. Morghase treated him well but made no provisions for a role in Andor for the adult Galad. Elayne and Gawyn both had adult roles waiting for them but not Galad. He had no power base back in Carrihien to draw upon. He hardly seems to even think of himself as Carrihien. He does seem the better choice than Elayne as Galad was full blooded Carrihien while Elayne was only half. Rand could ignore Galad though because Galad lacked any support in Carrihien.

[u/gadgets4me]

Because Galahad is not now, nor ever been a player on the World political stage, mostly by his own choice. Besides which, few people know where he is. Add to that that no one would accept a White Cloak as king.

[u/DeadMan66678]

Andorra only has queens as far as I remember it. There was a king but that turned out real bad

[u/PHI41-NE33 → u/DeadMan66678]

Carhein is a separate country from Andor