Ruler of the Pride Lands

The Ruler of Pride Rock is the formal title given to the absolute monarch of the Pride Lands. Being an absolute monarch, the king or queen is vested with full executive and judicial control.

Residence
The official residence of the monarch is Pride Rock, where the king or queen lives with his or her faithful subjects, the lionesses, as well as his or her family.

Duties
There are no set duties for the monarch, nor are there any obligations that must be fulfilled. The monarch has absolute authority over any executive or judicial decisions, leading to some monarchs, most notably Scar, misusing their power. The wisest of the monarchs regulate predation within their lands, ensure that there is enough water to go around, and settle arguments among the Pridelanders.

Succession to the Throne
The order of succession is based on equal primogeniture, meaning inheritance by the oldest surviving child without regard to gender. The heir apparent is usually the eldest. However, it would be within the monarch's prerogative (as absolute monarch) to amend the line of succession, include non-family members, or completely exclude royals from the line of succession altogether.

In order to ascend to the throne, the heir apparent must walk to the top of Pride Rock and roar over his or her kingdom. The lionesses in turn will roar back to signify their acceptance of the new monarch.

Usurpers
A special case is presented in the German audio story, Fight for the Throne, in which Kesho the cheetahchallenges Simba to a fight in the Valley of the Thousand Eyes in order to gain the title of king. After winning the fight through deception, Kesho usurps the throne and banishes Simba, Nala, and their son Kopa to the jungle. However, with the help of an elephant named Kia, the royal family forces Kesho to admit his deceptive ways, and the Pridelanders support the return of their true king and his family.[1]