Reclaiming a Throne

[Kuruharan]

it is just said that he ruled the remnant of the Noldor

Actually, that is a very good point, one I’d overlooked, at least so far as Finarfin never explicitly being referred to as king. However, this brings up the whole tangle of potential rulers that others have already alluded to.

True they could have, but they didn't.

Are you reasoning from some particular evidence, or simply from the fact that we don’t know about it happening?

Anyway, by the time of the third age, a high king of the noldor probably wasn't necessary. The title of high king came about due to the fact that the noldor needed a united resistance against morgoth. After morgoth was overthrown Gil Galad remained so he kept his title. After the last alliance both Morgoth and sauron were overthrown and the elves had no real enemy (at that time anyway) so the position of high king was no longer needed in order to lead a united resistance.

There are a few problems with this. The term “High King” was not explicitly used in Valinor because there was only one king of the Noldor, (or Vanyar, or Teleri). However, the position of king of the Noldor existed in Valinor before the rebellion and presumably after the exiles started returning. Ingwe (for instance) was not dethroned just because Morgoth and/or Sauron was overthrown. The position was one of great honor and stature. Obviously in Valinor there would be little need of a king for military purposes. The king was probably the symbolic head of the people. There is no reason to suppose the office was discontinued.

Anyway, Finwe was never coming out so the only one who could claim leadership of the noldor was Fingolfin.

I may have missed something somewhere, but I did not know that any extraordinary prohibition had been placed on Finwe.