He is the 22nd Prince of Dol Amroth. Serving under the Steward of Gondor,
the leader of the fief of Belfalas would prove to be a remarkable warrior and captain of men.
And one trait in particular puts him alone in a category with Aragorn, Faramir, and Gandalf.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the life and travels of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth.
Imrahil is born in a fiefdom of Gondor known as Belfalas in the year 2955 TA. He is the oldest
son and third child of Adrahil, the Prince of Dol Amroth. Dol Amroth, the main city in Belfalas,
is ruled as a hereditary princedom as part of the greater realm of Gondor. Thus the
Prince of this fiefdom would serve, and be an advisor to, the Steward of Gondor.
The line of the Princes of Dol Amroth trace their ancestry back to the Numenoreans of the
Second Age. They were of the Faithful - those who remained loyal to the Valar and Eldar and rejected
the influence of Sauron. It is believed their ancestors dwelt on the shores of Middle-earth
even before the Downfall of Numenor. While we are told the settlement of Dol Amroth gets its
name after the elven King of Lorien who dies in the Bay of Belfalas in 1981 TA, we are also told
that Elendil himself gives this loyal house the lordship that would descend through their
family for thousands of years. Reconciling these two points would mean that perhaps Elendil gives
them their title of Prince, then later “of Dol Amroth” is added as a reference to their location.
When Adrahil dies in 3010 TA, Imrahil becomes the Prince of Dol Amroth - the
22nd of this line. But Imrahil would not be the only great warrior within his family,
for his sister would marry the heir of the Steward of Gondor. Together,
Denethor and Finduillas would have two sons - Boromir and Faramir.
We are not told of Imrahil’s early days and he instead enters the story in the later part of the
War of the Ring. Though, we do know that Imrahil and his wife have four children - three sons and
a daughter. As Steward Denethor prepares Gondor for the coming attack by Mordor,
he calls for soldiers from the surrounding fiefs - and Imrahil would answer..
And last and proudest, [came] Imrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth, kinsman of the Lord,
with gilded banners bearing his token of the Ship and the Silver Swan,
and a company of knights in full harness riding grey horses; and behind them
seven hundreds of men at arms, tall as lords, grey-eyed, dark-haired, singing as they came.
This description gives us a sense of the majesty of Prince Imrahil and his knights,
but it is only the beginning of how he affects the Siege of Minas Tirith and the Battle of the
Pelennor Fields. In The Return of the King, Imrahil would not only personally fight,
but his mere presence inspires those around him. This trait of raising
the morale of soldiers happens with only a few characters in Tolkien’s works - namely Gandalf,
Aragorn, and Faramir. In the lead-up to the Siege of Minas Tirith, we read…
And with Gandalf went the Prince of Dol Amroth in his shining mail. For he and his knights still
held themselves like lords in whom the race of Númenor ran true. Men that saw them whispered
saying: ‘Belike the old tales speak well; there is elvish blood in the veins of that folk,
for the people of Nimrodel dwelt in that land once long ago.’ And then one would sing amid the
gloom some staves of the Lay of Nimrodel, or other songs of the Vale of Anduin out of vanished years.
And yet – when they had gone, the shadows closed on men again,
and their hearts went cold, and the valour of Gondor withered into ash.
It’s important to realize that by this time, the cloud of despair is already upon the city - the
Witch-king and his terrible malice is well at work. The fact that Imrahil’s presence
could bring nearby soldiers out of this haze and into song is no small feat. Within this passage,
we also see another interesting fact about Imrahil’s lineage - he is descended from an elf.
Going back 22 generations, we find a Gondorian nobleman named Imrazôr,
who dwelt in the region of Belfalas during around 2000 TA. He is, for reasons unexplained,
known as Imrazôr the Numenorean - despite Numenor having fallen over two millennia earlier. After
the Balrog is awoken in Khazad-dum, and many elves of Lorinand flee south,
the elf-maid Nimrodel and her companions came to the forest of Dor-en-Ernil and become lost. One
of these companions is the elf-maid Mithrellas, who is discovered by Imrazôr. They would later be
married and have two children. However, the end of the tale of Mithrellas is one of the
great mysteries of Middle-earth - the last word comes in The Peoples of Middle-earth:
But when she had borne him a son, Galador, and a daughter, Gilmith,
she slipped away by night, and he saw her no more. But though Mithrellas was of the
lesser silvan race (and not of the High Elves or the Grey) it was ever held that the house
and kin of the Lords of Dol Amroth were noble by blood, as they were fair in face and mind.
While we do not know what happened to his mother, we know Galador himself would become
the first to hold the full title: Prince of Dol Amroth. And after a century - and
21 generations - the elven traits of his line would still be evident in his heir - Imrahil.
Returning to the War of the Ring and Imrahil’s experience in battle,
we find one of his most memorable moments, when he and Gandalf rescue the Gondorian soldiers
retreating over the Pelennor who are under attack from the orcs and the winged Nazgul:
Now they sprang forward, formed, quickened to a gallop, and charged with a great shout.
And from the walls an answering shout went up; for foremost on the field rode
the swan-knights of Dol Amroth with their Prince and his blue banner at their head.
'Amroth for Gondor!' they cried. 'Amroth to Faramir!'
Like thunder they broke upon the enemy on either flank of the retreat;
but one rider outran them all, swift as the wind in the grass: Shadowfax bore him,
shining, unveiled once more, a light starting from his upraised hand.
Imrahil is the final person to come back into the city - bearing the body of his nephew…
Last of all he came. His men passed in. The mounted knights returned,
and at their rear the banner of Dol Amroth, and the Prince. And in his arms before him on his
horse he bore the body of his kinsman, Faramir son of Denethor, found upon the stricken field.
Imrahil carries Faramir up to the White Tower, where he tells Denethor - who had
sent his son on this quest: ‘Your son has returned, lord, after great deeds,’
Thanks to the actions of Imrahil and Gandalf, Faramir’s life would eventually be saved. But
that is not the only life that could have been lost were it not for the Prince of
Dol Amroth. Later in the battle, when Imrahil sees the Rohirrim are outnumbered and facing
defeat on the Pelennor, he rides into battle with other nobles of Gondorian
fiefs. Upon leaving the city, he meets a procession of Rohirrim carrying something…
‘What burden do you bear, Men of Rohan?’ he cried.
‘Théoden King,’ they answered. ‘He is dead. But Éomer King now rides in the battle:
he with the white crest in the wind.’
Then the prince went from his horse, and knelt by the bier in honour of the king
and his great onset; and he wept. And rising he looked then on Éowyn and was amazed. ‘Surely,
here is a woman?’ he said. ‘Have even the women of the Rohirrim come to war in our need?’
‘Nay! One only,’ they answered. ‘The Lady Éowyn is she, sister of Éomer;
and we knew naught of her riding until this hour, and greatly we rue it.’
Then the prince seeing her beauty, though her face was pale and cold,
touched her hand as he bent to look more closely on her. ‘Men of Rohan!’
he cried. ‘Are there no leeches among you? She is hurt, to the death maybe,
but I deem that she yet lives.’ And he held the bright-burnished vambrace that was upon
his arm before her cold lips, and behold! a little mist was laid on it hardly to be seen.
‘Haste now is needed,’ he said, and he sent one riding back swiftly to the City to bring
aid. But he bowing low to the fallen, bade them farewell, and mounting rode away into battle.
As Imrahil rides into the last fight of the Battle of the Pelennor, Eowyn is taken to safety,
where she will likewise be healed. Not only does the Prince of Dol Amroth save the life of his
nephew Faramir, but likely the life of Faramir’s future wife. We are told that in this last portion
of the battle, Imrahil shows his might as a warrior alongside the greatest of their day…
Aragorn and Éomer and Imrahil rode back towards the Gate of the City,
and they were now weary beyond joy or sorrow. These three were unscathed,
for such was their fortune and the skill and might of their arms,
and few indeed had dared to abide them or look on their faces in the hour of their wrath.
After the battle is won and Minas Tirith is safe, for a time, Imrahil twice asks for Aragorn to
either enter or be summoned into the city, but the latter would only do so in disguise in order
to heal the wounded before returning to his camp outside the city walls. This is a person who could
very well have made Aragorn’s ascension to the throne difficult - yet, he immediately recognizes
Aragorn’s true place and purpose. However, Imrahil would for now, take on the role of Lord of Minas
Tirith until Faramir should awake and recover - though both Aragorn and Imrahil would agree
that Gandalf would be their ruler in the days to come and in their dealings with the enemy.
Later, as the captains must decide their next course of action,
it is decided that they must march upon the Black Gate to empty Sauron’s lands
and give Frodo a chance to complete his quest. Imrahil immediately agrees
to go on this likely march to death, yet considers the people yet under his care…
‘As for me,’ said Imrahil, ‘the Lord Aragorn I hold to be my liege-lord,
whether he claim it or no. His wish is to me a command. I will go also. Yet for a while I stand
in the place of the Steward of Gondor, and it is mine to think first of its people. To prudence
some heed must still be given. For we must prepare against all chances, good as well as evil. Now,
it may be that we shall triumph, and while there is any hope of this, Gondor must be protected.
I would not have us return with victory to a City in ruins and a land ravaged behind us.
In the end, an army of 7,000 rides from Minas Tirith on March 18 - though 1,000 would break
off after being overwhelmed with the dread of Mordor - instead being commanded by Aragorn to
liberate Cair Andros. With his nephew behind to lead the defense of Minas Tirith, Imrahil
accompanies Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Pippin, and the Sons of Elrond to the Battle of
the Black Gate on March 25. There he would stand upon the front line with the men of Dol Amroth,
fighting the forces of Mordor until the One Ring is destroyed and Sauron defeated.
The Prince would be at the Celebration on the Field of Cormallen - as Sam and Frodo
are celebrated with great praise when they awake on April 8 - nearly 2 weeks after the
destruction of the ring. Weeks later, on May 1, Imrahil would finally witness the
Coronation of King Elessar as Steward Faramir brings the crown of the King,
which is given to Frodo, then to Gandalf, who places it upon Aragorn’s head.
Imrahil would also attend the funeral and burial of King Theoden in Edoras on August
10. And within this land of Rohan, a new friendship would be formed - for
King Eomer would become great friends with Prince Imrahil and two years later,
would marry Imrahil’s daughter, Lothiriel. From this union of Rohan and Dol Amroth
would come the 19th King of Rohan, and the only listed grandchild of Imrahil - Elfwine.
Elfwine, whose name means “Elf-friend” is said to bear a striking resemblance
to his maternal grandfather, in whom ran the elvish blood.
Imrahil would certainly have lived to know his grandson for many long years - as Elfwine is
born in the early Fourth Age. Imrahil meanwhile, would die 34 years into the
fourth age - having lived an even 100 years. No extra long life of those of the House of Elros,
but a life well lived nonetheless. A life of bravery, honor, and quality.
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