Ruling Queens of Númenor

2024-10-09T20:16:42Z

Caeliat: Tar-Súrion's familial relationship to Tar-Ancalimë was incorrect (mother > grandmother)

The '''Ruling Queens of Númenor''' were women who ruled the kingdom of [[Númenor]]. Of Númenor's twenty-five [[King of Númenor|rulers]], three were female.

==Laws of Succession==
{{Main|Law of Succession in Númenor}}
In the early days of Númenor, the custom (as there was no official law regarding succession) was that, once the King became too old to rule, he would surrender the [[Sceptre]] to his eldest son. If he had no son, the Kingship would pass instead to the nearest male relative of male descent of [[Elros Tar-Minyatur]]. Under this system it was impossible for a woman to become ruler of Númenor. In {{SA|892}}, [[Tar-Aldarion]] changed the system of succession to full agnatic primogeniture, in which the heir to the Kingship of Númenor would be the eldest child of the King or Queen regardless of gender.<ref name="Further">{{UT|Wife}}, ''The Further Course of the Narrative''</ref>

==History==
===Tar-Ancalimë===
[[File:Anke Eißmann - Ancalime in Emerie.jpeg|thumb|right|''Queen Ancalime the Princess Shepherdess'' by [[:Category:Images by Anke Eißmann|Anke Eißmann]]|200px]]
[[Tar-Ancalimë]] ({{SA|873}}-{{SA|1285|n}}) was the first Ruling Queen of Númenor.<ref name="ancalime">{{UT|5}}, entry ''VII Tar-Ancalimë''</ref> She was the only child of Tar-Aldarion, and under the old law the Sceptre would have passed to her cousin [[Soronto]].<ref name="aldarion" /> In {{SA|892}}, at the age of nineteen,<ref group="note">This was unusual as it had been previously customary for heir to be declared when he reached 100 years of age.</ref> she was declared the [[King's Heir]] by Tar-Aldarion, who changed the law to allow his daughter to rule.<ref name="Further" />

Under the new law, the Queen was forced to resign after a certain time if she remained unwed or without children. This law was later changed by Tar-Aldarion, although it is not known whether this was before or after she married. Despite lacking any interest in men or marriage, she wed [[Hallacar]] in {{SA|1000}}. There are several accounts of why this may have happened: in one story, she agreed to marry him due to his persistence and the urgings of the [[Council of the Sceptre|Council;]] in another, it was to spite her cousin Soronto, who had long desired the position of King, and who tried to use both the law that she must wed and that she must have children.<ref name="Further" />

Tar-Aldarion left her as Regent several times during his voyages.<ref name="Further" /> Tar-Ancalimë become Queen in {{SA|1075}}.<ref name="aldarion">{{UT|5}}, entry ''VI Tar-Aldarion''</ref> She reigned for 205 years, longer than any ruler after Elros; she surrendered the Sceptre in {{SA|1280}} to her son [[Tar-Anárion]], and died in {{SA|1285}}.<ref name="ancalime" />

After the death of her father, it is told that she neglected all her father's policies and gave no further aid to [[Gil-galad]] in [[Lindon]].<ref name="ancalime" />

===Tar-Telperiën===
[[File:Juliana Pinho - Tar-Telperien.png|thumb|right|''Tar-Telperien'' by [[:Category:Images by Shyangell|Shyangell]]|75px]]
[[Tar-Telperiën]] ({{SA|1320}}-{{SA|1731|n}}) was the second Queen of Númenor. She was the daughter of Tar-Súrion<ref group="note">Tar-Súrion had two older sisters and as such either could have been made Queen of Númenor but both refused (Something male heirs could not do, though they could resign and pass the Sceptre to their son immediately upon accession), so the Kingship went to Tar-Súrion.</ref> whose grandmother was the first Queen of Númenor, Tar-Ancalimë. She was the only Queen who also had a brother, but as she was older than him, under the new law she became the rightful ruler.<ref>{{UT|4a}}, note 8</ref> She ruled for 175 years from {{SA|1556|}} until her death at the age of 411. She chose not to marry and had no children, so the Kingship passed to [[Tar-Minastir]], the son of her brother [[Isilmo]].<ref>{{UT|5}}, entry ''X Tar-Telperien''</ref>

Notable events during her reign include the forging of the [[Rings of Power]] in {{SA|1600}},<ref>{{App|SA}}, entry for the year ''c.'' 1600 of the Second Age, p. 1083</ref> the beginning of [[War of the Elves and Sauron]] in {{SA|1693}},<ref>{{App|SA}}, entry for the year 1693 of the Second Age, p. 1083</ref> and, seven years later, an army being sent from Númenor to [[Lindon]] to aid the Elves and route the forces of [[Sauron]] at the [[Battle of the Gwathló]].<ref group="note">In other writings it is stated that the Númenórean fleet was sent by Tar-Minastir, however it arrived {{SA|1700}} which is during the reign of Tar-Telperiën. [[Christopher Tolkien]] was unable to account for the discrepancy.</ref><ref>{{UT|Concerning}}</ref>
[[File:Juliana Pinho - Tar-Vanimelde.png|thumb|right|''Tar-Vanimeldë'' by [[:Category:Images by Juliana Pinho|Juliana Pinho]]|100px]]

===Tar-Vanimeldë===
[[Tar-Vanimeldë]] ({{SA|2277}}-{{SA|2637|n}}) was the third and final Queen of Númenor. She ruled for 111 years from {{SA|2526}} until her death.<ref name="vanimelde">{{UT|Kings}}, entry ''XVI Tar-Vanimeldë''</ref>

She gave little thought to ruling, caring more for music and dance, so during her reign the power was wielded more by her husband [[Tar-Anducal|Herucalmo]]. Upon her death the Kingship, under Númenórean law, should have gone to her son, [[Tar-Alcarin|Alcarin]], but Herucalmo, who took the royal name Tar-Anducal, refused to give up his power and ruled until his death in {{SA|2657}}, when the Kingship passed back to the rightful King.<ref name="vanimelde" />

===Tar-Míriel===
Upon the death of her father, [[Tar-Palantir]], in {{SA|3255}},<ref name="palantir" /> [[Tar-Míriel]] ({{SA|3117}}-{{SA|3319|n}}) should have been made the fourth Ruling Queen,<ref>{{UT|5}}, entry ''XXV Ar-Pharazôn (Tar-Calion)''</ref> but her cousin [[Ar-Pharazôn]] married her, against both her will and the laws of Númenor, and declared himself King.<ref name="palantir">{{UT|5}}, entry ''XXIV Tar-Palantir (Ar-Inziladûn)''</ref>

==See also==
*[[King of Númenor]]
*[[Queen of Númenor]]
{{references|note}}
{{numenorkings}}
{{numenor}}
[[Category:Mannish titles]]
[[Category:Rulers of Númenor]]

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Ruling Queens of Númenor