Jaime Lannister : Richard, Duke of York (in one context) - In the books, it’s described that during Robert’s rebellion, after Jaime killed Aerys Targaryen (for reasons not revealed until the Season 3 episode “Kissed by Fire), he sat on the iron throne. That’s how Ned Stark found him when he arrived at the castle. The Very Honorable Ned was appalled, because 1) Jaime had broken his oath to protect the Mad King and had killed him instead, and 2) Jaime had no right to sit on the throne. Though there’s no evidence that Jaime intended to claim the throne, that’s the message his actions sent.

This can be seen as a parallel to a specific incident during the Wars of the Roses. In October 1460, after 5 years of on and off battles and political squabbling between the Lancasters and the Yorks, Richard, Duke of York (Edward IV’s dad) arrived in London and took residence at the royal palace. He entered Parliament with his sword borne upright before him (an honor usually only accorded to kings) and placed his hand upon the empty throne, as if he were to sit in it and occupy it. The assembled peers were dead quiet and clearly did not agree with his claim to the throne (for a long time, the Wars of the Roses were about making sure Henry VI was advised by the right people and didn’t focus on deposing him at all). This demonstrated that York would not be supported in his claim to the throne at that time, so instead, he negotiated a truce in which York and his heirs would be recognized as Henry’s successors. The temporary peace that resulted from this agreement only lasted a few months, and within the year, the Duke of York and his eldest son were killed. The death of York, who was extremely popular with the common people, was a huge turning point for the Wars; within a few weeks of his death, his eldest surviving son was named Edward IV.