Matching 50 Game of Thrones characters with 50 European countries

San Marino: Lancel Lannister

After the Vatican City, San Marino is the least populated country in all of Europe. It’s also the third smallest by area. Nevertheless, despite its size, San Marino is rollin’ in cash. The country’s GDP is comparable to those of some of the most developed nations in the world; there are literally more cars than people there!

San Marion’s tiny geographic footprint combined with its wealth makes me think of Lancel Lannister. Lancel is not one of the Lannister power players. He’s notable mostly for the shady stuff he gets up to, including sleeping with his cousin Cersei and joining up with the brutal Faith Militant. Nevertheless, he’s filthy stinking rich thanks to being born into House Lannister.

Lancel was drafted into the Faith Militant by the High Sparrow, who wanted the superrich of Westeros taken down a notch and for all citizens to live equally under the light of the Seven. There are hints of communism mixed up in his approach, even if the show didn’t explore them fully. Similarly, San Marino was famously home to the world’s first democratically elected communist government back in 1945; it lasted until 1957. The government transition was obviously more peaceful than what the Faith Militant did the crown, but still a parallel worth identifying.