The happy culmination of the War of the Ring is the crowning of King Elessar: the good fortune of Middle Earth is mirrored in the triumphant personal journey Aragorn makes from Ranger to King. He takes on his destined role in a solemn ceremony before the damaged Gate of Minas Tirith, where Faramir meets him with the White Rod of Office and the ancient winged crown. Aragorn promptly returns the Rod to Faramir, making him the King's Steward, and Faramir formally introduces Elessar by calling his many names and asking the people to acclaim him as ruler. When Faramir holds up the Crown of the Sea Kings, Aragorn intones the ancient words "Out of the Great Sea to Middle-Earth I am come. In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto to the ending of the world."

But he does not don the crown. Instead, he asks Frodo to carry it to Gandalf, and Gandalf to place it on his head. In such manner he honors the truth that "by the labour and valour of many have I come into my inheritance." Gandalf pronounces "Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed."

And they are. Elessar enters his city to music and flower strewn paths; "wisdom sat upon his brow, and strength and healing were in his hands, and a light was about him....And in his time the City was made more fair than it had ever been." To make that happen, Elessar invites the Children of the Wood and the Folk of the Mountain to help him rebuild, and so proclaims to the world his reign will be one of tolerance and peace between peoples.


And yet on this day of his crowning, one thing is lacking. Elessar looks to "a day draws near that I have looked for in all the years of my manhood, and when it comes I would have my friends beside me." In answer to that need and that day, as Elessar accepts his crown, Elrond and Arwen leave Rivendell with Elladan and Elrohir and host of Fair Folk, bound for Minas Tirith and the Royal Wedding.