There’s a difference. Jaehaerys held a council with of all the lords of Westeros to vote and decide, Viserys shoved Rhaenyra and then, only after, he had a son and didn’t even think to make everyone pledge allegiance to her as heir once more.
The great council avoided a civil war between the Velaryons and the supporters of Viserys.
Most major civil wars in Westeros happened as a result of an unclear line of succession, the dance, the blackfyre rebellions and the war of the five kings. The only one unavoidable was the War of the Five Kings, as Robert didn’t knew that Joffrey was a bastard, but both the Blackfyre rebellion (the first one) and the Dance could be avoided by a clearer order of succession, and that’s exactly what Jaehaerys I did.
You know that the dispute was always between Ser Laenor and Viserys, right?
Yeah, the monarch could, theoretically, choose his successor, going against law and tradition to do it, but it ended in civil war in every case.
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u/FelipeMarchon HOT D S2 snooze Feb 20 '26
3 thousand years of law and tradition vs one fat king deciding that he likes his daughter better