Deltoran monarch

"You are the king, Endon. Your duty to Deltora is far greater than your duty to obey the Rule."

- Sharn reminding Endon of his duties. The king or queen is the sovereign of Del and hence the ruler of the kingdom of Deltora. The Deltoran monarch consolidates their power, palace, and seat of government in Del, the capital of the kingdom.

Traditionally, the Deltoran monarch wears the Belt of Deltora at all times, but due to the influence of chief advisors sent by the Shadow Lord, they began to store it away in the palace's high tower, abiding by the Rule. However, this was reverted after King Lief was crowned king, choosing to wear the Belt and be actively involved with the affairs of his people.

After the palace was built, the relationship between the monarchs and the general population changed dramatically. Monarchs began to stay in the palace, leaving affairs to their advisors. Such decisions allowed for the Shadow Lord to infiltrate the affairs of the kingdom, eventually leading to the destruction of the Belt of Deltora.

History
The monarchy of Deltora began with the first king of Deltora, the blacksmith Adin. After Adin had forged the Belt of Deltora, which he had visions of in a dream, and gained each of the the seven tribes' talisman gems and placed them in the Belt, the power of the Belt drove away the Shadow Lord. Adin had united the tribes, and he was crowned king by the tribes who viewed his achievements with respect. All the tribes swore allegiance to him and his descendants. Adin realised that the Shadow Lord was defeated but not destroyed, and would invade Deltora again if he could, so Adin wore the Belt always and never let it out of his sight. Adin and his Toran wife, Zara, had five children, and the oldest of these became king after Adin's death.

After the death of Adin's eldest son, Elstred became king. During his later years Elstred became fat with good living, and the Belt of Deltora was tight around his waist. His chief advisor convinced him that he need not wear the Belt all the time if it was uncomfortable for him. Elstred wore the Belt only on special occasions after this.

After Elstred's death, his daughter Adina became queen. She followed the advice of her chief advisor and wore the Belt only five times during her reign. Her son, Brandon, wore it only three times during his reign. Soon it became the custom for the monarch to wear the Belt only during their coronation.

Palace
Before the Palace of Del was built, by order of King Brandon, the royal family lived in the forge in Del. Even though Brandon never lived to see the completion of the Palace, Brandon moved into it before it was even finished.

Succession
The title of king or queen is hereditary, traditionally passed from parent to eldest child when the reigning monarch dies. However, any descendant of Adin is an heir, able to wear the Belt and hence rule.

Duties
During the time of Adin, the monarch's duties involved ruling Deltora, keeping good relations with Tora, and always wearing the Belt of Deltora to protect Deltora from invasion from the Shadowlands. But as the centuries passed and the chief advisors began to control the kings and queens, these duties were forgotten and a new set of rules were created, called 'the Rule'. Members of the royal family were taught to obey these rules.

After the defeat of the Shadow Lord during the time of King Lief, the monarch were obliged to protect the kingdom by wearing the Belt of Deltora and help their people recover from the Shadow Lord's tyranny.

Family
The royal family includes its head, the monarch; a spouse, if present; and their children. The children of the monarch are referred to as 'prince' or 'princess'.

Known Deltoran monarchs
This list includes all the known ruling monarchs of Deltora who were officially crowned.
 * Adin
 * Adin's eldest son
 * Elstred
 * Adina
 * Brandon
 * Lucan
 * Gareth
 * Elspeth
 * Lilia
 * Alton
 * Endon
 * Lief

Known Deltoran consorts
This list includes all the mentioned royal consorts of Deltora, that is the husbands and wives of Deltoran monarchs. It is clear that at least the wives of Deltoran monarchs were referred to as "queen of Deltora".
 * Zara
 * Toran wife of Adin's eldest son
 * Elstred's wife
 * Alton's wife
 * Sharn
 * Jasmine