It is a joyous day for all of Middle Earth when Aragorn, son of Arathorn is finally able to do what none of his forebears could, and reclaim the throne of Gondor. This is only able to be achieved once the ring-bearers have destroyed the ring of power in Mount Doom, and removed the ever-present threat of Sauron from the world.
The kingdom has been waiting for a king to return and restore the white city of Gondor for centuries, and when Aragorn begins healing people who were injured in the battle at Pelennor fields, rumors start floating around the people that he is in fact the only remaining heir from a long ago and almost forgotten family of royals who are able to lead the kingdom to salvation. The fears of Denethor, who always knew that he would be supplanted as the Steward, are confirmed, but as both he and his firstborn son Boromir died during the war, it is left to Faramir to have the noble duty of officially handing the crown to his new king.
To many fans of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, it might seem as though Faramir was cheated out of the throne of Gondor, and may be bitter or angry at his loss. But, in many ways, Faramir was never in line to look after the throne in the first place, as the honor would always have gone to Boromir. Because Denethor detested Faramir so much, he had preened his oldest son from a young age to follow in his own too-proud footsteps and inherit the title of Steward, meaning that Faramir would always have spent the rest of his life in his brother’s shadow.
Then, when Aragorn becomes king, it would be easy to feel that Farmir has been cast out of the spotlight once again, and the chance to prove his worth has been unfairly snatched once more. However, Aragorn recognizes that Faramir could have been as good a ruler as himself, that he is kind, brave, loyal, and selfless, which are all qualities needed to make a good king. Therefore, Aragorn awards Faramir an honored title of his own: Prince of Ithilien.
Gondor, as a kingdom, is split up into several lands and kingdoms and is far-reaching enough that it has its own provinces within it. The most well-known is, of course, Minas Tirith, where the white city stands. This can essentially be likened to the capital, but there are also other towns, cities, nd collections of civilizations within Gondor's lands. Faramir has already been watching over Ithilien in secret for many long years, alongside a band of men whom he cares for and trusts, known as his rangers. Faramir and his rangers have many strange customs, they know the land inside out, and have been guarding its boundaries against enemies who would seek to enter Gondor and attack in the dead of night. They guarded it without the permission of Denethor, because he would not have deemed Faramir worthy, but Faramir wishes to protect his people and serve his kingdom nevertheless.
Thus, Aragorn gives Faramir these lands to rule, naming him the ‘Prince of Ithilien’, and trusts him to continue watching over those who dwell there. He becomes part of the council and democracy that rule Gondor, a trusted advisor to Aragorn as king, but also a ruler in his own right, because to Aragorn, Faramir’s quality was never in question. Faramir is also given his own body of guards to help him maintain the lands, made of the most loyal men who served beside him as he tried to retake Osgilliath and protect Minas Tirith from his father’s paranoia and stupidity. Aragorn states in the original book the Return of the King: “So it must be, for you are appointed to the White Company, the Guard of Faramir, Prince of Ithilien, and you shall be its captain and dwell in Emyn Arnen in honor and peace, and in the service of him for whom you risked all, to save him from death.”
Faramir and Eowyn live in the lands of Ithilien, where they have their son, who later inherits the rule and takes over when Faramir passes. The two retain a strong kinship with Aragorn throughout their lives, but also with Eowyns brother Eomer, who rules the neighboring kingdom of Edoras. Thus continues the centuries-old alliance between Gondor and Rohan, and all of their provinces and lands that make up the Reunited Kingdom in the Fourth Age of Middle Earth. Even Merry and Pippin serve on the council with Aragorn and Faramir, and help to shape a future where the evils of Sauron fade into a terrible but distant memory.