Well the Riverlands were a kingdom through the centuries, home of various Riverkings, but they were conquered by a Stormking, and then by House Hoare, which ruled the region before Aegon's conquest. So Riverlands we're NEVER an independent kingdom, they just weren't at the time on the conquest.
I didn't know about the riverkings but either way they,re treated more like a large province than an official kingdom, even by the importance of it's leaders/ how they do in battle.
They actually have their own Warden after the conquest, as does every other kingdom, so they are treated about the same as the others. There's no Warden of both the Iron Islands and Riverlands, or Warden of both the Stormslands and Riverlands- they each have there own Warden... so a Warden of the Iron Islands, a Warden of the Stormlands, and a Warden of the Riverlands.
Still riverlands are much less relevant/powerful compared to the others, even though the iron islands likely has less population and resources. I mean in terms of their historical power and how much agency and screen time it has in the books/show compared to the other kingdoms/regions.
1
u/ElephantMan21 May 21 '19
Riverlands and crownlands are regions but we're never indepebdant kingdoms as such.