We need to talk about the one man in House of the Dragon who has morals and principles. And it’s none other than the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Harrold Westerling. Ever since we first saw him, he has been fiercely protective of not only the King but also Princess Rhaenyra. His loyalty to the King, the Iron Throne and the realm has never wavered. While the rest of the Red Keep was splitting into two sides including the knights of the Kingsguard, Ser Harrold held his ground. He has carried himself with dignity and grace. In fact, when Alicent attacked Rhaenyra with the catspaw dagger, Ser Harrold Westerling did not stand by idly. He went to aid Rhaenyra and stop Ser Criston Cole. So what does the future hold for this honorable and good man?
The Lord Commander steps down in House of the Dragon episode 9
House of the Dragon episode 9 covers the aftermath of King Viserys’ death. As Queen Alicent misunderstands the King’s final words, she indirectly starts the Dance of the Dragons. Ser Otto Hightower and the rest of the Green Council start implementing their plan for Aegon’s ascension to the Iron Throne. They had already been plotting and scheming against Princess Rhaenyra for years. However a few in court were opposed to their plan. Unfortunately these men and women which included Lord Beesbury, Lord Caswell and Lady Fell were killed.
The final step in their ruthless plan was the murder of Rhaenyra, Daemon and their children. Consequently this task was given to the Lord Commander, Ser Harrold Westerling. He already looked uncomfortable with the entire situation. But when this was asked of him, he surrendered his position as Lord Commander and gave up his white cloak. Ser Harrold said that he only listened to the King and would not take orders before a true King was installed.
Ser Harrold Westerling already died in Fire and Blood
King Viserys dies during the early half of 129 AC. In House of the Dragon Ser Harrold Westerling is not only alive and well, but he is also still the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. In Fire and Blood, Ser Harrold actually passes away during 112 AC which is far before the death of Viserys and the Dance of the Dragons. Moreover, Ser Harrold is merely mentioned in Fire and Blood and does not have a significant role in the story whatsoever. House of the Dragon has changed this fact and made him a recurring character in the show. And after the events of House of the Dragon episode 9, fans are cheering for this character and hope to see more.
What will his role be in House of the Dragon?
Ser Harrold Westerling was replaced by Ser Criston Cole as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. In fact, after he gave up his white cloak, Ser Harrold was not seen again in the episode. His future is definitely up in the air, or rather it is in the hands of the show runners. There are endless possibilities. However, the most likely one is that Ser Harrold may have left King’s Landing and travelled to Dragonstone. He could be on his way to warn Princess Rhaenyra regarding the coronation of Aegon and the sinister plans of Otto Hightower. This would make sense because Ser Harrold was quite close to Rhaenyra when she was younger. As mentioned before, he was very protective of her and accompanied her to several places.
Additionally, Ser Harrold Westerling was the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and was thus only answerable to King Viserys. And the King wanted his daughter Princess Rhaenyra to be his heir. It would make sense that Ser Harrold would want to uphold the same decision and help fulfill the King’s wishes. This would mean that he would support Princess Rhaenyra and the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons. The showrunners could also kill him off screen and end his storyline in that manner. After all, there isn’t much precedence for our theories in Fire and Blood. But in our opinion, that would be a waste of a good character and a great actor.
