The Hobbit: Is Thranduil More Powerful Than Elrond?

gamerant.com:

Across The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, there are three elven rulers of note: Thranduil, Elrond, and Galadriel. The three are all very different in numerous ways, especially because they feature in different books, but there are lots of ways in which the audience can see the same lofty, regal, and experienced characteristics of elves shine through all of them.

But many fans of the films have noticed that Thranduil is referred to as ‘King’ of Mirkwood, whereas Elrond and Galadriel are only referred to as ‘Lord’ of Rivendell and ‘Lady’ of Lothlorien. So why is this?

How The Lyrics Of The Misty Mountains Song Predicts Thorin's Fate

First, it is important to understand that traditionally, a ‘King’ is the highest position of monarchy or rulership, and that all other titles fall under the authority and jurisdiction of the king. However, it’s not quite that simple in the case of these three elves, for multiple reasons. The first reason is that they are all guardians of their own respective lands. If each of the three members all lived within the same kingdom, it would be very clear that the ‘King’ has the power over the ‘Lord’ and the ‘Lady’, but seeing as they are all in different realms, this makes things a little more complicated. The nature of each place that is ruled over is also a deciding factor that adds complexity into the mix.

Thranduil is King of Mirkwood. Now Mirkwood is a vast and seemingly un-ending forest that is home to thousands of elves, an entire society that has trade with outside lands, protectorship of several creatures in the woodlands, and an internal structure comprising several different functions within the society, from guards to chefs to loaders and unpackers of goods. In this sense, Mirkwood has a