The second episode of House of the Dragon Season 3 finally sees Rhaenyra Targaryen claim the Iron Throne. She has proclaimed herself Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. But with power comes responsibility, and ruling a fractured realm is proving to be just as difficult as winning it.
In the latest episode, Rhaenyra Targaryen finds herself balancing two competing priorities. She must strengthen her claim to the throne while also governing the people she now rules. The Iron Throne has tested every monarch before her, and it is now Rhaenyra’s turn. Her first days as queen are anything but peaceful.
Rhaenyra’s first day as Queen
Rhaenyra has finally entered King’s Landing, determined to establish a just rule.
Her first priority is to eliminate the remaining threats to her reign. At the same time, she wants to honour the faith her father, King Viserys I Targaryen, placed in her by becoming the ruler he always believed she could be. That alone is an enormous responsibility.
Then come the duties of governance.
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Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen must hear petitions, resolve disputes and respond to the needs of the people of King’s Landing. The episode also reveals the harsh realities of war. The royal treasury is running low, the granaries are nearly empty, and the burden of ruling grows heavier by the hour.
Her first day as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms is far more chaotic than triumphant.
How The West Wing inspired this episode
George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based, portrays Rhaenyra’s first day as the Queen differently. In the novel, the moment centres on an all-night ceremony in which she compels the court to kneel before her. It offers little insight into the practical challenges of governing the realm.
The television adaptation takes a different approach. Rather than focusing solely on Rhaenyra Targaryen’s victory, the episode explores the overwhelming reality of taking control of a kingdom in the middle of a civil war.
Speaking on the official House of the Dragon Season 3 podcast, writer Sara Hess revealed that the acclaimed political drama The West Wing served as an unexpected source of inspiration. She said:
“I would be lying if I said we didn’t think about The West Wing… a little bit.”
Hess also explained that Rhaenyra Targaryen never expected to inherit the throne so suddenly after the bloody Battle of the Gullet. She described the situation by saying:
“All of a sudden it was just like, ‘Oh, no. We’re just there.’ So we were kind of thinking it was like the abruptness of getting into the castle and being like, ‘Oh, I don’t actually have any – I haven’t planned my administration.’”
She further revealed how she and showrunner Ryan Condal approached the storyline:
“I remember Ryan was saying,you know, this is generally where the show ends, is like, ‘And then she took the throne and she’s the queen now.’ But it’s like, actually, what happens the next day when you wake up and there’s like, oh, there’s a fuck ton of bureaucracy that you have to deal with and nothing’s what you want?”
By shifting the focus from victory to governance, House of the Dragon offers a more grounded look at Rhaenyra’s reign. Winning the throne was only the beginning. Now comes the far more difficult task of ruling the Seven Kingdoms.
What do you think lies ahead for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen? Let us know in the comments.
