If Ned had claimed the throne

[AegonTargaryen]

Now I know, he would never do that, but let's assume he had. Could he have held it, and would Westeros be a better place?

Here's my thesis on the subject:

Ned claims the throne. Robert supports him. Hoster Tully, realizing his daughter would be queen and his grandson king, also supports his new son in law. So, we have the Starks, Baratheons, and Tullys supporting king Ned. Next Jon Arryn, recognizing that Robert is in complete support of Ned, and because of his affection for the boy who was his ward, also supports Ned. Now we have four of the seven houses behind a Stark monarchy. This is where it gets tricky.

Ned, already married, has no one to offer to Cersei to bring the Lannisters on board. In fact, he doesn't want the Lannisters help, seeing as they killed Rhaegar's children. He instead "punishes" them and earns the short-term gratitude of the Martells.

Finally, to strengthen the Stark claim, Ned moves to establish a betrothal between Robb and Dany. This connects the Stark claim to the Targ claim.

I could see a new Stark dynasty being established after Eddard's Rebellion (see what I did there) if the Starks play their cards right.

Thoughts?

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Eh

[Morienthar]

He could have held it and with a second generation Targ king with Robb and Dany's betrothal it would have been a hard regime to falter.

But seeing as how Jon would have brought Littlefinger to KL,I think he would have messed it up eventually.

[mrunderhill]

No chance of Ned holding the throne. The pious people in the South would be against him. Ned himself would experience a hue culture shock living in the South. Things such as personally executing prisoners is not likely to go down well. More importantly Ned just does not have the personal magnetism and charisma of Robert. Lannisters and Tyrells are the two most powerful Lords and eventually they are going to rebel against Ned.

[Fat Mac]

"Punishing" the Lannisters is a lot easier said than done. Tywin has an unused force. Now, I'm not saying that force could have taken the Arryn-Stark-Tully-Baratheon alliance, but it still would be a massive pain in the ass.

Also, how is Ned to find Dany, when her and Viserys would leave for Essos regardless of who became King?

[ambi76]

King Ned. Yep. That could have worked against all odds. Much better than king Bob at least. Even Cersei thought though.

[Downright Daario]

Would Ned probably be able to get the Throne if he decided to take it? Yes, would he be able to keep it? No.

Ned already has a kinda "Too pure for this Sinful world" Kinda thing going for him, which would mean he would not be able to do all the dirty things needed to keep the peace. He has no claim to the throne, unlike Robert, he has no connection to the Royal family. He is largely a foreigner, with strange ideas and strange gods. And most of all, he has no Charisma, while he is largely loved and respected in the North, he has no chance of winning over the Southern lords in the same way Robert did.

[The Lady Lannister]

He wanted to send Jaime to the Wall, but my guess is that Hoster Tully and John Arryn would have convinced him to release him from the Kingsguard and marry Lysa Tully. (And we know it is much worse than taking the black.) This would have made the Lannisters part of the alliance, pleased Tywin no end and made it all much more secure. Ned and Jaime as brothers-in-law. There is a happy family! Not. Jon Arryn could have married Cersei, or possibly Oberyn - as a peace offering.

I am of course assuming that Ned would have listened to his shrewd advisers.

[Penguin king]

I thought the decision to declare Robert king because of his Targ blood was made near the start of the rebellion, long before the Trident. I don't know if Tywin would have been as quick to have had Elia and her children killed if honorable Ned Stark was about to sit the throne.

[AegonTargaryen]

IIRC there was general confusion when King's Landing fell as to who would be the next king. I remember after Jaime killed Aerys he was toying with the idea of placing either Viserys or Aegon on the throne.

In any case we know that Robert didn't want the throne, and that he would have supported Ned if he had claimed it.

As to Ned holding it, if he had claimed it when he first entered King's Landing, i.e. Rhaegar's children had already been murdered, I think he might of had a decent chance of holding the throne. The Stark-Baratheon-Tully-Arryn alliance was already quite formidable, not to mention King's Landing and the Crownlands being added to that.

Especially if the Stark claim is joined to the Targaryen claim (by marrying Robb to Dany) I think he would of had a good shot at staying in power. Yes the Lannisters and Tyrells may rebel against him, but the Martells would not join in, and the Lannisters/Tyrells v everyone else is not very good odds.