Not A Prince...

[doug*platypus]

GC about the Master of Esgaroth, as I remember he was elected in a sort of unbalanced democracy where the merchants had more say.

In the First Age one hears talk of the princes of the Noldor, but among the Sindar there is little of that. Cirdan is well, just Cirdan and so forth. And the Noldorin realms were much more majestic and regal.

This leads me to ask, what makes a kingdom a kingdom? Do you need a king first or a kingdom first, or should I just ask about the chicken and the egg? Cirdan is, if I remember correctly Lord of the Havens, originally Lord of the Falas. Gil-Galad is the High King, because he comes from the oldest line of kings of the Noldor. The Sindar weren't completely unattracted to the idea of nobility - Thingol and Thranduil were certainly kings, even though Celeborn was only ever a Lord.

Elrond is never mentioned as the king or the High King, despite his lineage, but maybe that is because he was not descended from Gil-Galad. After Gil-Galad there doesn't seem to have been a king of the Noldor in ME. Man, this is actually pretty confusing.