

Barristan Selmy, who served three kings, thinks that Rhaegar would have been better than any of them. Jaime Lannister remembers the iron tones of Rhaegar's voice. While Robert Baratheon despises Rhaegar and accuses him of having raped Lyanna Stark, the only thought of Eddard Stark, Lyanna's brother, is he did not think Rhaegar frequented brothels. The prince was well-loved by the people of the Seven Kingdoms during his lifetime and is still fondly remembered to this day. At the same time, Summerhall was also Rhaegar's favorite place. Rhaegar was deeply affected by "the shadow of Summerhall", because he was " born in grief" and was considered melancholic at times.

Later in life, however, Rhaegar did acquire several trusted and loyal companions. He learned to read at such an early age that people jested that his mother Rhaella had swallowed some books and a candle during her pregnancy. The crown prince was said to have been uninterested in the play of other children as a boy, but bookish "to a fault". Jorah Mormont has described Rhaegar as valiant, honorable, and noble while Barristan Selmy has called him determined, deliberate, dutiful, and single-minded. The latter, however, held his preference men said Rhaegar loved his silver-stringed harp more than he loved his lance. Rhaegar was an intelligent young man, who excelled at anything to which he put his mind, and grew to be a great knight and a skilled musician. Rhaegar decorated his helm with gold, orange, and red silken streamers resembling flames. Rhaegar owned night-black plate armor, with the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen decorated in rubies on its breastplate, and underneath the plate he wore golden ringmail. The hair of Aurane Waters is reminiscent of Rhaegar's, although the Bastard of Driftmark's is more silvery than gold. Rhaegar's hair was similar to the silver-blond of Viserys and their sister, Daenerys.

He had long, elegant fingers, and was taller than his younger brother, Viserys, would be in his adulthood. The beautiful Rhaegar had deep purple or indigo colored eyes.
