Edmund the High King of Narnia?

BarbarianKing

BarbarianKing

Knight of Narnia
Staff member
Knight of the Noble Order
So what do you think about this? In the movie, Caspian introduces Edmund and Lucy as "Edmund the Just and Lucy The Valiant, High King and Queen of Narnia"

Now, why would the writers want to do that? Don't they know that in the Chronicles there is only one High King and he isn't Edmund? I have my theory but I want to hear your opinions. What do you think?
 
BarbarianKing said:
So what do you think about this? In the movie, Caspian introduces Edmund and Lucy as "Edmund the Just and Lucy The Valiant, High King and Queen of Narnia"

Now, why would the writers want to do that? Don't they know that in the Chronicles there is only one High King and he isn't Edmund? I have my theory but I want to hear your opinions. What do you think?
Click to expand...
The statement was very obtrusive, and stuck out to me as wrong. I don't know why they decided to call him High King. At first, I thought they were calling him High King because Peter would never come back to Narnia. But that makes no sense... there are kings who died thousands of years ago, and they keep their title. :p

The only idea I have is that the scriptwriters simply forgot who to rightly call high king. :rolleyes:
 
I also noticed that. What really makes it stick out is that in PC, Edmund actually points out the fact, after being called "Prince Edmund," that he is King Edmund, but Peter is the High King.

I don't get the reasoning. I guess it's likely that they forgot. I had also considered the idea of him claiming that title since Peter couldn't return, but that didn't make sense to me either.
 
I think Caspian was just letting the crew know that Edmund and Lucy were above him and that he recognized that.
 
If so, perhaps I can forgive them for it. ;) I'm glad they didn't make Caspian or Edmund into arrogant pigs. Else, you couldn't blame Eustace for thinking so poorly of them. ;)
 
He became High King of Narnia after the miracle of the electric torch that yet lighteth whensoever it's button pressed be. :D
 
BarbarianKing said:
So what do you think about this? In the movie, Caspian introduces Edmund and Lucy as "Edmund the Just and Lucy The Valiant, High King and Queen of Narnia"

Now, why would the writers want to do that? Don't they know that in the Chronicles there is only one High King and he isn't Edmund? I have my theory but I want to hear your opinions. What do you think?
Click to expand...

I was wondering that too! I didn't catch it the first time (I am not sure where I was during those few seconds, but it obviously wasn't in the movie theater ;) ), but I caught it the second time.

I'm more likely to think that either they forgot, or it was simply Caspian saying that Edmund and Lucy were above him in authority. However, if you go with the latter theory, you must also consider what Drinian tells Edmund.

"On this ship, the chain of command begins with King Caspian."
 
I really find that people are just reading too much into it. I mean, yeah Peter was the High King, but during this high reign, Susan, Edmund and Lucy were co-regents. When Peter was off fighting giants to the North, his siblings were responsible for the wellfare of his kingdom. I would take issue if Caspian referenced King Gale, champion of the Lone Islands as "High" king or King Frank the First, "High" king of Narnia or Queen Swanwhite, "High" queen of Narnia. But as a point of differentiation and as a reference to rulers of the Golden Age, I take no issue with his reference to Edmund the Just and Lucy the Valient as "High" king and queen of Narnia.
 
MissReepicheep said:
If so, perhaps I can forgive them for it. ;) I'm glad they didn't make Caspian or Edmund into arrogant pigs. Else, you couldn't blame Eustace for thinking so poorly of them. ;)
Click to expand...

Agreed!

EveningStar said:
He became High King of Narnia after the miracle of the electric torch that yet lighteth whensoever it's button pressed be. :D
Click to expand...

LOL!!!

Aravis Kenobi said:
I'm more likely to think that either they forgot, or it was simply Caspian saying that Edmund and Lucy were above him in authority. However, if you go with the latter theory, you must also consider what Drinian tells Edmund.

"On this ship, the chain of command begins with King Caspian."
Click to expand...

Good point, but I think that could be chalked up to him being a loyal subject to Caspian. Doesn't he say something along the lines of "No disrespect, but..." I felt like he was acknowledging Edmund's Kingship, but his loyalty was with Caspian who was the serving King.
 
tirian_son_of_erlian said:
I really find that people are just reading too much into it. I mean, yeah Peter was the High King, but during this high reign, Susan, Edmund and Lucy were co-regents. When Peter was off fighting giants to the North, his siblings were responsible for the wellfare of his kingdom. I would take issue if Caspian referenced King Gale, champion of the Lone Islands as "High" king or King Frank the First, "High" king of Narnia or Queen Swanwhite, "High" queen of Narnia. But as a point of differentiation and as a reference to rulers of the Golden Age, I take no issue with his reference to Edmund the Just and Lucy the Valient as "High" king and queen of Narnia.
Click to expand...
I think Tirian has it correct. I can't imagine that the scriptwriters made an error on such a basic point; I think they mean to have Caspian saying that Edmund and Lucy are special in that they have an enduring reign even when Narnian-born kings are on the throne, and that they are representatives of the Golden Age when the four of them reigned at Cair Paravel. Even so, it very much jarred with me and I wish they hadn't put that in.

Peeps
 
There is no need to say that Edmund is the HIGH King just to make him special. Edmund is one of the ancient kings, but no the High King. All the Narnians should know about this. I really think the writes messed this part up.
 
I think he just called them High to differentiate them from the current king, Caspian. There is nothing to much to read into that to me.

"I think that could be chalked up to him being a loyal subject to Caspian. Doesn't he say something along the lines of "No disrespect, but..." I felt like he was acknowledging Edmund's Kingship, but his loyalty was with Caspian who was the serving King."

bjdoureaux, what Drinian said was in line with acknowledging who was in charge. In a scenario with more than one leader holding the same rank, there must be a hierarchy. On the ship, Caspian was the leader. It is what made PC wrong in that Peter took to much control from Caspian. Here, Drinian had to deferentially let Edmund know that Caspian was the only one he could take mission orders from.

The way I saw it, this was the way to make Edmund into the Peter of this movie. He felt that he expected to be in charge. This is what they did leading up to Deathwater Island and the near showdown betweem Edmund and Caspian.

MrBob
 
In the absence of Peter whom they know will never return, the position is taken by the next in line same as when a president's chair is taken by a vicepresident in it's absence. It does not mean they no longer recognize Peter as High King but that at the time both Edmund and Lucy were the only representatives of the High throne in Narnia.
 
PunkMaister said:
In the absence of Peter whom they know will never return, the position is taken by the next in line same as when a president's chair is taken by a vicepresident in it's absence. It does not mean they no longer recognize Peter as High King but that at the time both Edmund and Lucy were the only representatives of the High throne in Narnia.
Click to expand...
The next in line thing doesn't apply here because this was not a democracy or anything that may resemble an earth government. The position of High King was given by Aslan to Peter alone. Only Aslan could pass it on to someone else, and He never did.

Even in the last battle, when Tirian visits the 7 friends at dinner time, Peter talks to him and tells him "I am Peter, the High King." So even if Peter was never coming back to Narnia, the title still remained his, and his alone. So, even toward the last pages of "The Last Battle" when they were in the new Narnia, Peter still remained the High King. Lewis wrote it like that so there is no question as to whom the title belongs to and it's not Edmund.
 
BarbarianKing said:
The next in line thing doesn't apply here because this was not a democracy or anything that may resemble an earth government. The position of High King was given by Aslan to Peter alone. Only Aslan could pass it on to someone else, and He never did.

Even in the last battle, when Tirian visits the 7 friends at dinner time, Peter talks to him and tells him "I am Peter, the High King." So even if Peter was never coming back to Narnia, the title still remained his, and his alone. So, even toward the last pages of "The Last Battle" when they were in the new Narnia, Peter still remained the High King. Lewis wrote it like that so there is no question as to whom the title belongs to and it's not Edmund.
Click to expand...


I never said he lost it, but that Edmund and Lucy were the representatives of the high throne present at that moment. I never, ever said he was deposed. And it does not matter if it's Earth or not all governments confer power to others when they themselves are absent up till the time they come back or what have you, in the case of the Pevensies as Aslan said once you are a king or queen in Narnia you shall forever be a king or king there, which is basically an analogy to that those that accept Jesus as savior will enjoy with him the kingdom of heaven and we will all share the title of being sons or daughters of God and therefore we are made prince and princesses. But the point is and remains that in Peter's absence Edmund and Lucy were the Defacto representatives of the High throne. Caspian was the king of the Telmarines, even though they recognized him as the acting king he was never recognized as being part of the high throne of the Pevensies.
 
Have any of you considered the fact that most people probably won't even hear that line in the movie? I didn't. It was only because of the soundtrack listing that I noticed Caspian's line in the film.

For goodness' sake, it's no big deal. NObody knows why the writers did that.
 
I agree that Lucy and Edmund could well be considered representatives of the high throne. That is a possibility. In this case, it's even more wrong to call Edmund High King cause he's not. He's a representative of THE high king.

Don't take me wrong, I love Edmund. I just think it was wrong to call him high king. If there was a reality such as Narnia, Edmund himself would have corrected this as I know he never, ever would have accepted a title that wasn't his.
 
Zella said:
I think Caspian was just letting the crew know that Edmund and Lucy were above him and that he recognized that.
Click to expand...
I agree with that. I couldnt think off what else to say in mine and my sisters oppinion we said to each other that caspian was acknowledgeing that edmund and lucy were higher than he is in is oppinion.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top