'House of the Dragon': Who is Ser Harrold Westerling? Graham Mctavish's character leads the Kingsguard
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The excitement is at another level now as ardent fans would be treated to the much-awaited ‘House of the Dragon’ in the next few days globally by August 21, 2022, on HBO and HBO Max. The highly talked about prequel series chronicles the prosperous era of House Targaryen that peacefully ruled Westeros for about 300 years. It tells a story about how this dynasty had a dramatic fall which started because of King Viserys I Targaryen’s official announcement of naming his only daughter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock / Emma D’Arcy) as next potential ruler instead of the king's brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), sparking a bloody civil war where all Targaryens are pitted against one another, including their dragons who also are fighting it out with humans and each other.
Talking about the characters within the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel, they all are really complex and intriguing with different emotional backstories. One of the important characters in the show is that of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Harrold Westerling. He is one of King’s most trusted comrades and confidants who is given the responsibility to keep a watch on Rhaenyra and also protect the King.
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Who is Ser Harrold Westerling ?
According to a Radio Times article, Ser Harrold Westerling’s character description reads, “The Commander and longest-serving member of the Kingsguard who still remembers the luster of the storied Seven Knights... In the current regime, where widespread peace has led to complacency and indulgence, he feels something of a loss of purpose, but nevertheless serves the King with a fierce, if quiet, loyalty.”
In the prequel series, we would be seeing how Ser Harrold Westerling is promoted to the Lord Commander position by King Viserys (Paddy Considine) early within the season. His main task is to protect the royal bodyguards and mainly taking care of the King Viserys and his first-born child Rhaenyra.
In a recent interview with South China Morning Post dated August 17, giving a detailed insight on his character Harrold, McTavish said, “In a world of vipers, which is the world of anything to do with Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, he’s a straight arrow. He’s a moral centre in the story.” Opening up on the traits of his character Harrold, McTavish added, “He’s not corrupt. He’s not personally ambitious in the same way that other characters might be. He doesn’t have that kind of agenda. So he represents something quite pure in a world where that’s hard to come by.”
Giving more interesting details related to his character Harrold, McTavish also shares, “He becomes the principal protection and shadow to everything that the king is involved in. The Kingsguard, they’re a sort of warrior monk-type. They get chosen as children, they’re not allowed to marry, they don’t have relationships, they don’t have any money, they forsake all their land and estates. They are simply focused on looking after, in this case, the princess and the king.”
He also went on to add that his character Harrold in the series is “utterly discreet and utterly reliable". "It always sounds a little boring, but he’s a very interesting counterpoint to the other stuff that’s happening,” said McTavish.