How ‘House of the Dragon’ draws from a real medieval civil war
In George R. R. Martin’s HOTD, Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne is hindered largely because she is a woman in a deeply patriarchal society. Although her father publicly named her as his heir, many remained uncomfortable with the idea of a queen ruling in her own right.
AUTHOR George R.R. Martin.
Photographs courtesy of HBO
Fans welcomed back the worst family in television, as HBO’s House of the Dragon (HOTD) premiered the first episode of its third season earlier this week.
The show, which holds the record for the biggest premiere in HBO history, centers on the Targaryens, a family widely regarded as the most powerful in the fictional world of Westeros — at least at the height of their dominance.
Set nearly two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones, HOTD follows the Targaryen dynasty at the height of its power, when dragons ruled the skies and the Iron Throne was firmly under its control. The story centers on a bitter succession crisis after King Viserys I names his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, as his heir. Following the king’s death, rival factions instead crown her half-brother, Aegon II, triggering a devastating civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Yet despite the Targaryen’s strength, the greatest threat to their rule comes not from foreign enemies but from within their own family. Why wouldn’t they accept a woman sitting on the Iron Throne?
HOTD’s plot echoes a real chapter of medieval history known as The Anarchy. In 12th-century England, King Henry I declared his daughter, Empress Matilda, his rightful successor. But when the king died, the crown was seized by Stephen of Blois, sparking years of warfare between rival claimants.
According to Historic UK, Stephen was the king’s nephew, born around 1097 in Blois. His mother, Adela, was the daughter of William the Conqueror. His father, Count Stephen-Henry of Blois, died while on Crusade, leaving the young Stephen to be raised by his mother. He was later sent to England to become part of Henry I’s court.
TOM Glynn-Carney as King Aegon Targaryen.
Stephen fell into the king’s good graces, helping him secure victory at the Battle of Tinchebray. Henry later knighted him. Years afterward, Stephen married Matilda of Boulogne, earning the title Count of Boulogne.
Historic UK further notes that William Adelin, the rightful heir to Henry’s throne, died when the White Ship sank in the English Channel in 1120. The question of succession intensified after the tragedy, but Henry made it clear that he wanted his daughter, Empress Matilda, to succeed him. Members of his court, including Stephen, even swore an oath recognizing her claim.
Yet upon Henry’s death in December 1135, it was Stephen who was crowned king.
