Can a woman serve as Hand of King?

[Trigger Warning]

Anyone can probably serve as anything so long as they have the backing of other nobles, council, monarch etc. 

[Antares8]

In "The Princess and the Queen," we learn that Viserys I considered making Rhaenyra his hand before he gave the position to Otto Hightower. I think that this means it's theoretically possible, or at least not illegal. As to whether the lords would accept it,  though... she'd have to fight a LOT harder than even the most incompetent (cough Mace cough) man.

[purple-eyes]

In "The Princess and the Queen," we learn that Viserys I considered making Rhaenyra his hand before he gave the position to Otto Hightower. I think that this means it's theoretically possible, or at least not illegal. As to whether the lords would accept it,  though... she'd have to fight a LOT harder than even the most incompetent (cough Mace cough) man.

You are right! I forgot her. 

Sure woman can serve as hand. 

Maybe we will see somebody as a female hand and named as "the Iron Lady".

[Batbob45]

it depends on the ruler.  I could see Olenna as Hand.  She would be better and smarter one than her son,

[Liz Stark-Targaryen]

Martin is almost certainly setting up the series so that post-Dawn (if we see it on the page), women have more power than they do now, if only because of the number of POVs they have. 

Dany has effectively reopened the case that was closed after the Dance: can a woman rule in her own right? So far, GRRM's answer isn't promising, but we're only mid-series.

We've also had POVs from several younger noblewomen and girls that are being groomed for either death, leadership, or both: Arianne, Asha, Brienne, and most notably, the Stark girls Sansa and Arya. All five of them will not die, and it is very possible one or more may end up on the Small Council someday.

[Lord Varys]

Martin is almost certainly setting up the series so that post-Dawn (if we see it on the page), women have more power than they do now, if only because of the number of POVs they have. 

Dany has effectively reopened the case that was closed after the Dance: can a woman rule in her own right? So far, GRRM's answer isn't promising, but we're only mid-series.

We've also had POVs from several younger noblewomen and girls that are being groomed for either death, leadership, or both: Arianne, Asha, Brienne, and most notably, the Stark girls Sansa and Arya. All five of them will not die, and it is very possible one or more may end up on the Small Council someday.

I'm not sure that we can reasonably hope that society as a whole will change just because Dany ascends the Iron Throne in the end.

A change in society may come to pass slowly in the future if Dany becomes the Mother of Westeros and rules the Realm she has rebuilt with a very strong hand for 60-70 or so years. Then she could implement Nymeria-like changes on Westerosi society but their effectiveness would greatly hinge on the gender of her children. If Dany were to have only sons, then one of them or their grandsons would follow her on the throne, and whether they would then look favorably on female rulers remains to be seen.

I certainly can see Sansa becoming a very savvy politician in her own own right, but only within the confines of her gender role. There won't be coming any sort of revolution coming from her end of the table. I'm not even sure if she will rule over anything in her own right - Winterfell will go to either Bran or Rickon - most likely Rickon, I think, since I don't believe Bran will survive the series in a 'mobile form', and Riverrun to Edmure if he survives (if not then Sansa could end up as its Lady assuming Catelyn eventually dies for good).

Even so, Sansa would be too young at the end of the series to really step into a role of leadership considering that she wouldn't even be woman grown at that point. We won't see her celebrating her sixteenth nameday.

And Arya is even more difficult. I've no idea what she might want to do with her life should she ever return to Westeros and reunite with her family. She has become very focused on herself and I don't think she would be interested taking responsibility for other people or even acquiring power for its own good. She wants to understand things and acquire special personal powers as well as power over herself.

Asha certainly could end up in charge of the Iron Islands and complete change that society, finally putting an end to all that Old Way nonsense.

Not sure whether Brienne will make it to the end but she may end up becoming the first female knight or something like, especially if she ends in either Aegon's or Dany's Kingsguard. But then, if she really turns out to have Targaryen blood she may become one of the main champions in the fight against the Others and die heroically in battle.

[Liz Stark-Targaryen]

I'm not sure that we can reasonably hope that society as a whole will change just because Dany ascends the Iron Throne in the end.

A change in society may come to pass slowly in the future if Dany becomes the Mother of Westeros and rules the Realm she has rebuilt with a very strong hand for 60-70 or so years. Then she could implement Nymeria-like changes on Westerosi society but their effectiveness would greatly hinge on the gender of her children. If Dany were to have only sons, then one of them or their grandsons would follow her on the throne, and whether they would then look favorably on female rulers remains to be seen.

I certainly can see Sansa becoming a very savvy politician in her own own right, but only within the confines of her gender role. There won't be coming any sort of revolution coming from her end of the table. I'm not even sure if she will rule over anything in her own right - Winterfell will go to either Bran or Rickon - most likely Rickon, I think, since I don't believe Bran will survive the series in a 'mobile form', and Riverrun to Edmure if he survives (if not then Sansa could end up as its Lady assuming Catelyn eventually dies for good).

Even so, Sansa would be too young at the end of the series to really step into a role of leadership considering that she wouldn't even be woman grown at that point. We won't see her celebrating her sixteenth nameday.

And Arya is even more difficult. I've no idea what she might want to do with her life should she ever return to Westeros and reunite with her family. She has become very focused on herself and I don't think she would be interested taking responsibility for other people or even acquiring power for its own good. She wants to understand things and acquire special personal powers as well as power over herself.

Asha certainly could end up in charge of the Iron Islands and complete change that society, finally putting an end to all that Old Way nonsense.

Not sure whether Brienne will make it to the end but she may end up becoming the first female knight or something like, especially if she ends in either Aegon's or Dany's Kingsguard. But then, if she really turns out to have Targaryen blood she may become one of the main champions in the fight against the Others and die heroically in battle.

You've thought about individual characters' fates far more than I have. My brief notes weren't hinting toward an inevitable post-apocalyptic feminist revolution, just that women will have more power than they do in late 3rd century Westeros, where they have none. 

 

[purple-eyes]

Martin is almost certainly setting up the series so that post-Dawn (if we see it on the page), women have more power than they do now, if only because of the number of POVs they have. 

Dany has effectively reopened the case that was closed after the Dance: can a woman rule in her own right? So far, GRRM's answer isn't promising, but we're only mid-series.

We've also had POVs from several younger noblewomen and girls that are being groomed for either death, leadership, or both: Arianne, Asha, Brienne, and most notably, the Stark girls Sansa and Arya. All five of them will not die, and it is very possible one or more may end up on the Small Council someday.

We already had several females in the small council. 

And also a ruling queen who is rhaenyra and many ruling princesses in Dorne. 

Only hand was never female yet. 

 

[Lord Varys]

You've thought about individual characters' fates far more than I have. My brief notes weren't hinting toward an inevitable post-apocalyptic feminist revolution, just that women will have more power than they do in late 3rd century Westeros, where they have none. 

 

I'd not say they had none. Cersei certainly had enormous informal power as Robert's queen, and even more as Queen Regent later on. Catelyn and Lysa had also much informal power as wives of their lords, both manipulating events behind the scenes (for instance, Cat ensuring that Ned becomes Hand of the King and Lysa orchestrating Littlefinger's rise to office and prominence at court by whispering in Jon's ear).

Aside from Sansa I cannot see any main female POV acquire such an amount of power simply because they are all too young and inexperienced. Arianne, the only candidate for this kind of thing, most likely will end up in a more powerful role, combining the roles of queen consort of Aegon VI as well as eventually becoming the Ruling Princess of Dorne. Trystane is too young for that job, after all.