The King of the Woodland Realm was an Elven title that referred to the ruler of the Woodland Realm of Wood-elves in the forest of Greenwood the Great. The title was held by Oropher and his son Thranduil, both of Sindarin kin. As the Third Age progressed, the shadow of the Necromancer advanced, and the Greenwood grew dark and became known as Mirkwood, and became infested with orcs and giant spiders, the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood were reduced in number and retreated to the lands in the north of Mirkwood. By the time of the events of The Hobbit Thranduil's title was King of the Elves of Northern Mirkwood.