The Zora Royal Family is the governing monarch family of the Zora people in Zora's Domain in Hyrule. It typically consists of either a King Zora, Zora Queen, Zora Princess, and/or a Zora Prince. In most games, there are at least two or more members usually a King or a Queen and their children. The Zora Royal Family governs Zora's Domain and the Zora people as a whole.
The Zora Royal Family has a long history of being sworn allies with their Hylian counterparts Royal Family of Hyrule and at least two Zora Princesses have had romantic feelings towards their respective era's incarnation of the Hylian Hero, Link. They are recognized as the leaders of the Zora and respected by the Royal Family of Hyrule which governs all of Hyrule as the Zora often operate with a respectful amount of autonomy though will work together with their Hylian counterparts to ensure the peace and stability of Hyrule.
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time[]
The Hyrulean Civil War ended less than a decade before the events of Ocarina of Time. The Zora Royal Family lead by King Zora XVI swore allegiance to the King of Hyrule with the Zora protecting Hyrule's primary source of freshwater Zora's Fountain where the Zora's patron deity Lord Jabu-Jabu resides. The Zora Royal Family had been entrusted with the Zora's Sapphire, the Spiritual Stone of Water, which was passed down from mother to daughter. The Zora's Sapphire is akin to an engagement ring to the Zora Royal Family. King Zora's daughter, Princess Ruto, was swallowed by Lord Jabu-Jabu after he was cursed by Ganondorf and infected by the parasitic Barinade. Link finds a Letter in a Bottle from Ruto downriver in Lake Hylia which reveals Ruto is Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly. After rescuing her, Princess Ruto becomes enamored with Link and agrees to part with her Zora's Sapphire though Link fails to realize accepting it essentially means he agrees to become betrothed to Ruto.
Seven years later, after Ganondorf takes over Hyrule, Zora's Domain becomes frozen over. Princess Ruto is able to escape, aided by Sheik. Princess Ruto enters the Water Temple to dispel the curse and free her people and father. Link frees King Zora from Red Ice using Blue Fire. King Zora learns his daughter is safe and is happy to see his old ally Link giving him a Zora Tunic as thanks for freeing him. At the Water Temple, Princess Ruto reunites with Link, and together they defeat Morpha. Ruto awakes as the Sage of Water, and realising they are bound to different paths, releases Link from his promise to marry her before giving him the Water Medallion.
During the "Quest for Biggoron's Sword", Link take Biggoron's Prescription for the World's Finest Eye Drops to King Zora who is an old friend of Biggoron. However King Zora explains that while he has the ingredient required he requires the Lake Scientist to make them. He gives Link the ingredient an Eyeball Frog but notes it cannot survive long outside its natural habitat meaning he must race to Lake Hylia as the shortcut in Zora's Domain leading there has frozen over. King Zora will continue to give Link replacements until he manages to bring one to the Lake Scientist.
As one of the Seven Sages lead by Princess Zelda, Princess Ruto aided Link in dispelling the Water Barrier inside Ganon's Castle. After the Hero of Time dealt the final blow to Ganon, she and the other sages sealed Ganondorf inside the Sacred Realm bringing peace to Hyrule. King Zora is seen celebrating Ganondorf's defeat at Lon Lon Ranch though quietly sits with Mido while missing his daughter, while Mido similarly misses Saria whom had become Sage of Forest. Princess Ruto is seen overlooking Hyrule with the other sages except Zelda atop Death Mountain.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess[]
In Twilight Princess, the Zora are ruled by Queen Rutela alongside her young son and heir Prince Ralis. When Zant attacks, Rutela refuses to yield to him and sends her son to Hyrule Castle to warn the Princess Zelda. Due to her defiance, Zant executes her and freezes the domain, leaving Ralis an orphan and the family's sole remaining member. Ralis escaped to Hyrule Castle Town but fell ill due to being away from water for too long. He is found by Ilia, who tries to nurse him back to health.
Link and Midna manage to unfreeze Zora's Domain by dropping a volcanic rock from Death Mountain into the Zora Royal Family's Throne Room. After restoring light to Lanayru Province and reviving the Light Spirit Lanayru, Link takes Ralis to Kakariko Village to be healed by Renado. While there, Link meets the ghost of Queen Rutela, who thanks Link for his assistance by showing him her husband's hidden grave in Kakariko Graveyard. There she reveals the Zora Armor her husband had made for the chosen hero and gives it to Link to aid him in his quest to defeat Zant. Eventually Ralis recovers and takes the opportunity to visit his father's grave to mourn the loss of his mother and pay his respects. During Link's later quest to repair the shattered Mirror of Twilight, Link and Resistance member Ashei investigate Yeti sightings in the Snowpeak province. Using Ashei's Sketch to learn more about the Yeti, the Zora mention the Reekfish depicted in the sketch and Ralis' knowledge of how to catch them. Link shows Ralis the sketch and Ralis reveals the Reekfish are attracted by a type of coral which his Coral Earrings happen to be made out of. Ralis gives Link a Coral Earring to use as a fishing hook for his Fishing Rod and decides to eventually return home to take the throne and lead his people. After Link defeats Blizzeta, Ralis returns to Zora's Domain and can be found in the throne room where Link can visit him. The Zora are relieved by his return and do their best to support their young prince as he takes the throne. After Ganondorf's defeat, Ralis is seen in Zora's Domain still being watched over by Queen Rutela in spirit.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds[]
Prior to A Link Between Worlds, Zora had become hostile to Hylians and had become River Zora. Queen Oren leads the River Zora from Zora's Waterfall though like her ancestors is friendly towards Hylians and is apparently trying to restore relations between the River Zora and Hylians. Yuga turns Oren into a painting after discovering she is one of the Seven Sages he needs to revive Ganon to acquire the Triforce of Power.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[]
Ten thousand years before Breath of the Wild, Zora's Domain is founded in the Lanayru Great Spring region in the province of Lanayru. Every decade, the province suffered heavy rainfall that flooded Zora River bringing disaster to Zora's Domain and areas downriver in the Lanayru Wetlands where Hylians lived. It became such an issue for both the Zora and Hylians that the reigning King Zora and King of Hyrule met to solve the problem. They decided to construct the East Reservoir Lake and Rutala Dam to control the flooding. Using a combination of Hylian engineering and Zora architecture they completed the project successfully and the ancient King Zora swore an oath to watch over the water level to guard against future floods. The ancient Zora King also commissioned Zora craftsmen to create Zora Greaves for Hylians that visited Zora's Domain as a token of friendship between them and the Zora.
Eventually Calamity Ganon appeared as part of his repeat cycle of resurrections and sealings. The Sheikah who had prepared for Ganon's inevitable return, bequeathed the Divine Beast Vah Ruta to the Zora who selected a Champion to pilot it against Ganon. Thanks to the Sheikah technology, Ganon was defeated. The people at first venerated the Divine Beasts and Sheikah technology but over time it became viewed as a threat to Hyrule's peace and stability. The Sheikah became ostracized from Hyrulean society until they chose to bury their technology for future use when Ganon returned. Vah Ruta was buried in Lanayru Great Spring.
During an unknown period, Zora's Domain came under threat by a Lizalfos general who brought war to Lanayru Great Spring. This forced the King Zora of that era to lead the Zora Kingdom's army of Zora Knights against the invading monsters. However his wife knew he was unskilled in the art of war sewed one of her white scales into her husband's Zora Armor in the hope her love would protect him. The King unaware of his wife's actions confronted the Lizalfos general at Zodobon Highlands where their armies clashed in a fierce battle. However the general was a dangerous foe and as the queen had feared her husband was no match for him. As the general prepared to deliver a deathblow to the King an errant sunbeam hit the Queen's scale sewn into his armor reflecting into the Generals eyes blinding him giving the King precious time to rally his forces to slay the general and his army resulting in a miraculous victory that became known as the "Miracle of the White Scale. The queen's act of love that created the miracle also lead to a new royal marriage custom of Zora Princesses crafting armor for their future husbands.
A century before Breath of the Wild, the Zora were ruled by King Dorephan a strong King Zora blessed with supernatural strength. His daughter Mipha was blessed with healing powers in the form of Mipha's Grace. One day a Hylian envoy appeared in Zora's Domain with a young four year old Hylian boy named Link accompanying them. Despite being only four years old, the boy was a swordsman prodigy capable of besting grown Zora and Hylian Knights. As a result Link became popular among the Zora children whom befriended him including Princess Mipha who developed a crush on him. Mipha and Link became close as she often healed his injuries as despite his skill Link was brave to the point of recklessness. Eventually Link left Zora's Domain joining the Knights of Hyrule to follow in the footsteps of his father a Royal Guard Knight. Meanwhile Princess Mipha became a big sister to Prince Sidon and matured into a young adult. It was foretold that Ganon would return causing the Royal Family of Hyrule lead by King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule and his teenage daughter Princess Zelda to work with their allies to excavate the Divine Beasts and Sheikah technology in preparation for confronting Ganon. Vah Ruta was discovered and Mipha developed an immediate bond with it. Eventually Princess Zelda visited Zora's Domain to recruit Mipha to be the new Zora Champion. Mipha accepted with the support of her father. Mipha wanted to fight to protect both her people and beloved Link whom she hoped to marry after Ganon's defeat, crafting Zora Armor for him in accordance with royal family tradition.
Calamity Ganon finally returned ironically on Zelda's seventeen birthday. Rallied to action by Daruk. Mipha piloted her Divine Beast, unfortunately Ganon had created Waterblight Ganon to kill Mipha and take control of her Divine Beast by imprisoning her spirit. This resulted in the Great Calamity. King Dorephan and Prince Sidon survived along with Zora's Domain, though Mipha's death hit the Zora people hard and lead many adults including Dento, Seggin, and Muzu to blame Link and the Hylians for Mipha's death. The Zora attempted to bring peace to Mipha's spirit by floating her Lightscale Trident but she managed to communicate her final wishes through the trident, insisting they treat the Lightscale Trident as an extension of Mipha herself, to remember her, and to know happiness once more. This lead to the creation of the Champion Festival and a memorial statue was constructed in Zora's Domain. The Zora came to venerate the Lightscale Trident with Dento creating the Ceremonial Trident a inferior but identical replica for ceremonial purposes during the festival.
A century later, Vah Ruta awoke after a century of dormancy and threatened to flood the Reservoir. Prince Sidon inadvertently recruits an amnesiac Link who had been tasked by Zelda through Impa to free Vah Ruta and the other Divine Beasts. Sidon, having been too young to remember Link, invites him to Zora's Domain where King Dorephan reveals Link's true identity and learns of Princess Zelda's survival. He and Sidon welcome Link's aid and Sidon reveals Mipha's true feelings for Link. Link and Sidon confront Vah Ruta, whom Link frees from Ganon's control, freeing Mipha's spirit in the process.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.