City Watch

 

The City Watch is a law-enforcement institution charged with acting as the policemen of King's Landing. They are informally known as "Gold Cloaks" due to the gold-colored cloaks their members wear as part of their uniform.

 

The City Watch of King's Landing is a strong, formally-trained and well-equipped force of guardsmen under the direct authority of the King on the Iron Throne. Their salary is paid by the kingdom as a whole and unlike many of the kingdom's other institutions they do not swear fealty to any lord other than the king.

 

The City Watch is supposed to double as a defense force in the event that the city is attacked, though prior to the War of the Five Kings a major attack on King's Landing hadn't occurred in generations (the Sack of King's Landing by House Lannister during Robert's Rebellion occurred after their army had already been let inside the gates, and was more of a massacre than a battle). The City Watch are not really true soldiers, as was evidenced by their lack of discipline during the Battle of the Blackwater, when many panicked when the tide of the battle turned dire.

 

The City Watch promotes by merit, one of the few institutions in Westeros not to recognize the status of birth. Its previous leader was Commander Janos Slynt, a butcher's son who rose through the ranks. Slynt was dismissed by Tyrion Lannister and replaced as Commander of the City Watch by Bronn, a lowborn sellsword in Tyrion's service. After Tywin Lannister assumes his duties as Hand of the King, he dismisses Bronn from command of the Watch.

 

The leader of the City Watch is referred to as "Lord Commander" when of noble birth, but simply as "Commander" when not. Janos Slynt was merely a "Commander" due to his lack of noble birth. Following Lord Stark's arrest, Janos was named the new Lord of Harrenhal and elevated to the nobility by King Joffrey as a reward for his loyalty. After this point he was referred to as "Lord Commander" Bronn was referred to simply as "Commander", as he was not of noble birth. Nonetheless, there is no functional difference, other than manner of address, if the leader is noble born or not.