The sovereign who ruled the planet Alderaan was either a king or a queen, and was known as the monarch of Alderaan. Selection of the monarch was made from the ranks of the Great Houses of Alderaan. In the Elysium, a stone hall situated in the Glarus Valley, the official election and anointing of the monarch took place, a tradition established before the founding of the capital city of Aldera. House Alde was the origin of the first Alderaanian monarch, King Darrus. Subsequent monarchs came from families like House Panteer, House Ulgo, and House Organa. House Organa served as the ruling family for many decades until the Galactic Empire destroyed Alderaan in 0 BBY.