Why Rhaenyra Targaryen from “House of the Dragon” Deserves the Throne
[Warning: This article is entirely spoilers.]
The character of Rhaenyra Targaryen is known to many from the TV series “House of the Dragon”. Her ascension to the throne is the main thrust of the series. She is to become the first female ruler in the patriarchal Westeros but she has her brother and Hightowers as rivals for the throne; they dare to claim the throne only because Rhaenyra is a woman.
Despite this inequality and illegality, some believe that Rhaenyra does not deserve the throne. In this article, I would like to focus on those aspects and try to emphasize once again why she deserves the throne in compliance with all the rules.
First of all, the throne is rightfully hers. Rhaenyra is proclaimed heir by the king himself, and all the lords of Westeros (and not only Westeros) pledge allegiance to her. Each lord declares fealty to him and Rhaenyra as his named heir. The king’s word, which is crucial in Westeros, claims that she is the heir. The surrounding people can not and do not oppose this and accept the situation; therefore, from this day on, Rhaenyra’s “queenship” has a solid foundation.
After declaring Rhaenyra as Viserys’s heir, he has a son from Alicent (Aegon II Targaryen). Because of this, there is an opinion that the law of Westeros, which says that the inheritance belongs to the firstborn boy, changes the situation. According to them, Rhaenyra loses the status of heir and Aegon becomes the rightful heir.
This is absolutely wrong.
Many people forget about the law of Westeros, in particular, “Widow’s Law”; it’s taken during the reign of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen on the advice of his wife — Queen Alysanne Targaryen. This law emphasizes the right of inheritance of the eldest son (or daughter, where there is no son). In the same law, it is mentioned that if a man’s wife dies and then he marries someone else, deprivation of inheritance for a child from the first marriage is prohibited: Reaffirming the right of the eldest son (or daughter, where there was no son) to inherit, but requiring said heirs to maintain surviving widows in the same conditions they enjoyed before their husband’s death. A lord’s widow, be she a second, third or fourth wife, could no longer be driven from his castle, nor deprived of her servants, clothing, and income. The same law also forbade a man to disinherit the children by a first wife in order to bestow their lands, seat or property on a later wife or her children.“- Fire & Blood: Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I.
Therefore, this is Rhaenyra’s birthright. She is Viserys’ only child from his first marriage and to whom he has passed the throne, and this is done not only with the authority of the king but also in full compliance with the law of Westeros.
She is Not a Powerhungry Person
Let’s remember that Rhaenyra doesn’t care much about who her father is going to name as his heir to the throne. She did not get down on her knees and ask for her rightful inheritance. She didn’t even mention, “I am your only child and only heir.”
One might think that this attitude of Rhaenyra’s would make her seem unambitious or a poor ruler. But this is not so. This unique characteristic of Rhaenyra brings balance to her personality — between ambition and being blinded by power, which we have seen in Martin’s world many times.
Rhaenyra never lacks ambition; even as a child she wants her father to appreciate her and choose her for the throne, and when she is announced as the heir, we can see how she wants to change Westeros. It should be noted that she never outgrows these qualities to become power-hungry, which is exactly what makes her a great ruler.
She is an Intelligent, Altruistic, and Fearless Politician
Rhaenyra Targaryen from the very beginning shows her interest in state affairs; she has her own views on various issues, she makes bold decisions, sets strategies and speaks openly. All of this emphasizes her political talent. Recall how Rhaenyra suggests to her father and the council that they should take out their dragons and end the Crabfeeder crisis once and for all (S1E2). She thinks that people should not be oppressed by force, but should be controlled according to the observance of laws. Rhaenyra doesn’t avoid violence either, but always thinks of it as a last chance.
In other words, she isn’t a fan of “solving every problem with violence” like Damon, but she doesn’t stay away from violence when it’s obligatory. Like Viserys, she has a “political composure” that balances her aggression and unlike Damon, whose aggression is extremely exaggerated, Rhaenyra’s aggression is moderate and as needed. All this makes her more daring than Viserys and smarter than Damon.
Rhaenyra’s thoughtfulness shows in her attitude toward useless traditions. She does nothing even though people have been doing it for centuries. It does not mean that she does not respect the traditions, she respects them and doesn’t try to destroy them. Moreover, when the kingdom needs it, Rhaenyra’s follows these traditions. The deer scene is a good example of this; when Viserys sees the deer, it seems that he doesn’t want to kill it, but according to tradition he has to. As for Rhaenyra, she directly refuses to chase the deer and goes away from these people. It emphasizes her strength of character and the correct attitude towards meaningless traditions.
We should also mention her attitude towards Laenor Velaryon and his orientation. Rhaenyra exactly knew her husband’s orientation and supported him in every way and told him that he could live as he wanted. This fact once again shows how kind a person she is and how she doesn’t pay attention to meaningless traditions.
She is Peaceful and Fair
In Rhaenyra’s character, as well as in Daenerys, we always see a heightened sense of pacifism, peacefulness, and justice. Rhaenyra, when she is still a child, has an internal protest when she sees how unfair her father is to her. She does not understand why she is not good enough for the throne just because she is a woman. This thought is enhanced by his relationship with Alicent and other Greens, who were always looking for a problem in her and a reason to make her look bad both directly to the king and to the people in general. Rhaenyra is always confused by this because her mind is not that unfair.
Sometimes, when she goes out at night, Rhaenyra is being watched. Sometimes their children are humiliated and sometimes her family is forced to leave their home. Even after going through that much, Rhaenyra still prefers to establish a peaceful relationship with “greens”. She proposes marriage and prefers negotiation instead of war, conflict, and bloodshed. With this, once again, she proves to us her generosity, correct political vision, intelligence, and most importantly, peace-loving nature.
She is Development-Prone and Open-Minded to Innovations
Rhaenyra has more obstacles and challenges on her way to the throne than any other king. She has to be the first female ruler in the hellishly patriarchal Westeros, which is certainly not easy, but she is determined and motivated and will never give up her place and will not give the throne to those who brutally and violently try to take it away: “When I am queen, I will create a new order,” she says. In this way, we see that she is not only bold, brave, and smart, but also progressive, receptive, and innovative. Patriarchy, which is terribly widespread in Westeros, is not something that Rhaenyra is afraid of. She doesn’t give up her throne because of misogyny and tries to change this environment, instead.
