Royal Family of Hyrule

The Royal Family of Hyrule is a long-running bloodline of royalty that was established following the Era of Chaos, many years after the events of Skyward Sword. Descended from the Goddess Hylia, who was reborn as the first incarnation of Zelda, the Royal Family consists of numerous kings, a Prince of Hyrule and many princesses who share the title of Princess Zelda. Keeping a close contact with the other leaders and races within Hyrule, they rule over the land with the most prominent authority.

Throughout their history, the Royal Family of Hyrule passes down many powers and objects of sacred power, including the magical abilities that they inherited from their ancestor Hylia, the Light Force, the Goddess Harp, the Triforce of Wisdom and the Ocarina of Time. Others things passed down within the family include the legend of the of the Sacred Realm and the Picori.

Members of the family live within Hyrule Castle and are known to be buried within Hyrule Castle Graveyard and a Royal Tomb located in a graveyard behind a village formerly home to the people who protect them. Their crest is that of the one used by their ancestor during the age in which she ruled over the very same land, formerly known only as the surface. The crest depicts a Loftwing, alone the symbol of Skyloft, and the Triforce.

The Legend of Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda, the Hylian Royal Family was responsible for guarding the Triforce of Wisdom. When Ganon attacked, the young princess of Hyrule, Zelda, broke it into eight pieces and hid them, for which she was imprisoned by Ganon.

The Adventure of Link
In the backstory for The Adventure of Link; long ago, when the kingdom of Hyrule was still unified, a wise king ruled over the land using the Triforce. Unfortunately, this wise king passed away, and his son and heir could only inherit the Triforce in part, because the king had hidden the Triforce of Courage away in the Great Palace until someone with special inborn qualities could find it. The young prince was swayed by the counsel of a corrupt wizard, who told him that his sister, Princess Zelda, was hiding the missing pieces. The prince interrogated the princess, but she would reveal nothing. In retaliation, the wizard cast a spell over Zelda, causing her to fall into an eternal sleep. The prince, stricken with guilt, issued a decree that all females born into the royal household were to be named Zelda in honor of his sister.

A Link to the Past
In the backstory for A Link to the Past, the King of Hyrule convened the Seven Sages to seal the entrance of the corrupted Sacred Realm and stop the flow of evil power. The conflict between the Knights and Ganon later became known as the Imprisoning War, in which Ganon was sealed inside the Dark World. Hyrule was at peace for a long time, until unexplained plagues and famine began to ravage the kingdom. The king was troubled by these developments, and ordered an investigation into the seal on the Dark World. The seal was intact, so the king advised the people to pray to the gods for solace.

As if to answer their prayers, a wizard named Agahnim appeared and ended the troubles using an unknown form of magic. This greatly pleased the king, who made him his chief adviser and priest and declared him to be the second coming of the Seven Sages.

The king's blind trust of Agahnim would be his undoing, however. Agahnim seized power and eliminated him, beginning to conduct secret magical experiments in the Castle Tower. When he usurped power, Agahnim used the king's name to enact false decrees, such as the order for Link's arrest and signs offering rewards for whoever finds the descendants of the Seven Sages.

The Princess Zelda is the last of the descendants of the Sages that Agahnim sends into the Dark World in order to break the Sages' seal. After Link defeats Agahnim, who is revealed to be nothing more than Ganon's alter ego, and Ganon himself, he makes a wish on the Triforce restoring Hyrule to harmony. The ending montage shows a scene of the king, newly restored to life and ruling the kingdom again.

Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time opens just after the Hyrulean Civil War has ended and the king has unified the land of Hyrule. The Sheikah, the Zora, and the Gorons have sworn fealty to the Royal Family. The Zora have formed an alliance with the Royal family, even allowing the flow of the river to stop for the King's messenger, and Darunia considers the King to be his "sworn brother."

When the King of the Gerudo people, Ganondorf swears fealty to the King, his daughter Princess Zelda distrusts him because of strange visions she has been experiencing recently. She believes that Ganondorf is after the Triforce and the Sacred Realm, but her father does not believe her. She appoints Link to act as her messenger, and her nursemaid Impa teaches him Zelda's Lullaby, which proves his connection to the Royal Family.

As Ganondorf seizes power, Impa spirits Zelda away from the castle, disguising her as Sheik. The Royal Family is restored once again when Ganondorf is defeated and sealed in the Sacred Realm by the Sages.

The Ocarina of Time is a magical instrument associated with the Royal Family. This is the only instrument that can open the Door of Time and is one of the keys to the Sacred Realm.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
The Hylian Royal family has only a minimal role in the series storyline. Zelda does appear in the password-linked quest. The inhabitants of Holodrum and Labrynna of the present seem to have no other royal government. Nothing suggests that Queen Ambi of the past is of Hylian royalty.

The Wind Waker
As Hyrule was buried in the Great Flood prior to The Wind Waker, the last remaining descendant of the Royal Family, Tetra, is completely unaware of her heritage. The last King of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, reveals her true identity to her by uniting the two pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. The king tells her that she is the last link in the dying bloodline and that Ganondorf must be defeated if Hyrule is to be saved.

When Link and Zelda finally duel Ganondorf atop Ganon's Tower, the king has a change of heart and realizes that his ancient kingdom is not worth living for. He makes a wish on the Triforce for Hyrule to be washed away, and admonishes his successors to find their own land and not cling to the lost kingdom of Hyrule.

The Minish Cap
In The Minish Cap, the Hylian Royal Family is depicted only by two living members. However, Royal Valley is said to be the place where deceased members are buried. King Gustaf is found here, along with unnamed members. The only known living members are Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule. Link and Zelda are depicted as childhood friends, and the King and Smith are said to be old friends. The Royal Family is said to be the ones who know the truth about the Picori.

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Zelda appears to be the only living descendant of the Royal Family of Hyrule, depicted in the scene "The Invasion of Hyrule," when she is the only Royal Family member guarding the throne. It is also mentioned that she made the decision to engulf Hyrule in Twilight rather than relinquish it, hinting that there was no higher power. Side materials also explain Zelda is overdue to be crowned Queen due to Zant's invasion, explaining why there is no King or Queen leading.

Spirit Tracks
Like in Twilight Princess, in Spirit Tracks Zelda is the only living descendant of the Royal Family in this new Hyrule, one put in place by her grandmother, Tetra, of The Wind Waker fame. However, this Zelda title adds political ties to the Royal Family as well, with the inclusion of Chancellor Cole as her royal adviser.