Inheritance in the Seven Kingdoms follows male-preference primogeniture as its general custom — but custom is not law, and exceptions are common. A lord's eldest son is his heir, followed by his younger sons in birth order. When there are no sons, daughters inherit in birth order. A man's daughter inherits before her father's brothers.
A lord also has the right to name an heir of his own choosing, passing over his natural heirs entirely. This may invite legal disputes after his death — and potentially violence during it. When there is no clear heir and no will to settle the matter, claims may be presented to the Crown for judgment.
The exception to male-preference primogeniture is Dorne, where children inherit in order of birth regardless of sex, following Rhoynish custom. When an heiress inherits in Dorne, her name passes to her children rather than her husband's.
When a ruling lord or lady dies leaving no clear heir, their widow may lay claim to the lands and rule until her own death, and may name an heir herself.
A lord may set specific terms for inheritance in his will. These terms are legally significant but not always honored without contest. Common examples include:
Naming a specific heir over natural claimants — a lord may prefer a younger son, a nephew, or even an unrelated party, and may set conditions an heir must meet to claim their inheritance.
Passing over a claimant entirely — heirs who have given offense, proven incapable, or whose loyalty is suspect may be cut from the line of succession by a lord's explicit declaration.
Conditional inheritance — a lord may attach conditions to an inheritance. Failure to meet those conditions — such as remaining unwed past a certain date — may cause the inheritance to pass to another.
In all cases, a contested will may result in rival claimants presenting their cases to their liege lord or, in serious disputes, to the Crown itself.
The right of succession may be lost in several ways:
Renunciation — a lord or heir may voluntarily renounce their claim. Once done, this is binding and cannot easily be undone, though rival claimants may still press the point in times of instability.
Taking vows — joining the Night's Watch, the Kingsguard, or the Faith (as a septon, septa, silent sister, or maester) removes a person from the line of succession entirely. Their claim passes to the next eligible heir as though they had never existed.
Attainder — a lord convicted of treason may be attainted, stripping not only himself but his descendants of their succession rights. Attainder is a serious legal weapon and one of the Crown's most powerful tools against rebellious vassals.
Bastards — children born outside of wedlock — have no legal claim to inheritance by default. They may not inherit their father's lands or titles, and their existence, while it may complicate matters politically, carries no formal succession weight.
A lord or king may legitimize a bastard, granting them the full rights of a trueborn child. Once granted, legitimization is irreversible. A legitimized bastard joins the line of succession, though whether they take precedence over younger trueborn siblings or fall behind them is a matter that has never been fully settled in law and has been the source of dangerous disputes.
The claims of legitimized bastards can have far-reaching consequences for trueborn relatives. Even an unlegitimized bastard, while holding no legal claim, may be a political threat if they attract enough support.
When an heir is born into a different house and comes into an inheritance, they adopt the name of the house they are inheriting. A man who marries an heiress and rules in her name may take her house name as his own.
The Iron Throne follows its own customs, which have shifted over time and remain a source of tension.
The general principle, established by the Great Council of 101 AC, is that the male line takes precedence — the throne passes through sons before daughters, and through a male relative before a female one. The lords of Westeros voted overwhelmingly at that council that the throne could not pass to a woman, nor through a woman to her male descendants.
In practice, however, this principle has never been absolute. Kings have named daughters as heir. Daughters have been placed in the line of succession ahead of uncles. The Dance of the Dragons — the civil war fought just five years ago — was itself a direct consequence of King Viserys I naming his daughter Rhaenyra his heir despite having sons by a second marriage. That war tore the realm apart and left it diminished.
In the wake of the Dance, the principle was hardened somewhat. Women of the Targaryen line do not succeed to the Iron Throne directly. All men of the line take precedence regardless of birth order. Where no male heir exists, a woman of royal blood may serve as the vessel through whom succession continues. Her son would be the king, with a regency council governing until he comes of age. This was the position Rhaena and Baela Targaryen occupied when the question of Aegon III's succession was raised: not heirs in their own right, but the means by which the dynasty might continue.
Under current law — established by the Hand Unwin Peake in 133 AC — the age of majority is eighteen for both men and women. No marriage may be solemnized until both parties have reached eighteen. No lord or king may rule in his own right before that age. No woman under eighteen may inherit or transmit succession rights.
This law was framed as wisdom and protection, and is difficult to oppose without seeming to argue against the welfare of children and the stability of lordship. It is, however, a relatively recent change, and the old customs still linger in memory.
A lord or king who inherits before reaching eighteen will have a regent appointed to govern in their name until they come of age. The regent exercises the lord's authority in full during that period.
Fosterage — the practice of sending young highborn children to be raised in another noble household — typically ends when a child reaches the age of majority and is free to determine their own path. Boys are most commonly fostered, though it is not unheard of for girls. Fosterage builds alliances between houses and is considered an honor for both the child and the family that receives them.