: : Well, we don't know how many Elrosians were actually in the southern havens. Many,of course, would have joined Ar-Pharazon's great fleet. I think it quite likely that the only Elrosians with a claim might have been a few very young sons who did not accompany forces going to join Ar-Pharazon. It stands to reason, in fact, that Sauron would have engineered this result - not wanting there to be any Elrosian left around whom the remnant power of the King's Men could rally in revenge.
: I think you underestimate how many descendants of Elros there must have been, after 25 or so generations.
Well, we only need count 19 generations because once you get back that far, Elendil's line would move into the first spot of its own accord. And that's important, because inclusion of those 6 generations would probably account for 75% of the extant Elrosians by the time of the Akallabeth.
I still maintain that the vast, vast majority or Elrosians with rights prior to Elendil would have perished with the King. But I do not deny the definite possibility that some did survive.
: Probably fewer than the number of descendants of Edward I, which is about as many generations back, because the longer life of the heirs of Elros would have led to more frequent intermarriages, and before the shadow at least there would have been no illegitimate children. But still, I think there could have been tens of thousands, and by Michael`s analogy whereby Numenorean lords temporarily out of favour would go to middle-earth, and return if successful like Spanish conquistadors, some of them would certainly have stayed - or left children there.
That doesn't seem to be the pattern prior to the faithful. The explorers and founders of the Havens were very much in favor bringing much wealth to Numenor.
: : : I didn`t know that the senior noble house was next in line for the succession if the British royal family died out (or would be if the Howards weren`t barred as Roman Catholics). Is that in the Act of Settlement, or an older tradition? And do you know how far back the royal family is traced for that purpose? I suppose it would make better sense to rally round an undoubted Duke than begin the impossible task of tracing all the descendants of Cerdic, and something like that seems to have happened in the realms of the exile.
: : I think the Act of Settlement provides that protestant descendants of Sophia, Electress of Hanover are in the line of succession.
: What happens when they are all dead? Is it then that the crown goes to the Duke of Norfolk - or would, if he were a protestant? : Mind you, now that I think about it, before the Act of Settlement I don`t beleive we did have a formal law of succession - unlike in France.
Well, I think there's like 200 people in the list so it's probably a moot point.
: You know, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of a Nazgul being the rightful king of Numenor:) It would give a whole new meaning to the witch-king`s attempt to conquer Arnor, wouldn`t it? But was he one of the three Numenorean Nazgul? I`m not quite sure.
I like to think so.
Russ
