5 Reasons Why Rhaenyra Targaryen Won’t Make A Great Queen

Rhaenyra Targaryen is thought to be the true heir to the Iron Throne. But will she be a good Queen? We don’t think so and

By Ishita Chatterjee
December 10,2022
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Warning: This article contains G.R.R.M’s book spoilers

Rhaenyra Targaryen is the undisputed protagonist of House of the Dragon. She’s the character who is portrayed to be the true heir to the Iron Throne. And it’s fair to say that the show writers are biased towards her side, the Blacks, rather than the Greens. However, the show and G.R.R.M’s book highlight some traits that foreshadow the fact that she wouldn’t be a great queen. So here are five reasons why we think Rhaenyra isn’t fit to rule:

1) Rhaenyra Targaryen Can’t Take Hard Decisions

Rhaenyra Targaryen
Rhaenyra Targaryen

The Targaryen civil war, also known as the Dance of the Dragons, happened because neither King Viserys nor Princess Rhaenyra took the hard but necessary decisions. When Alicent refused her offer of marrying Jacaerys and Helaena and progressively took control of the Small Council, especially in Viserys’ later years, Rhaenyra should have considered taking drastic steps to secure her claim.

And this includes even killing her half-siblings covertly. She says in the show that she wants to be a good and kind monarch, but Daemon rightly reminds her that people need to fear her as well. So if she had disposed of the challengers to her claim, she would be seen as a feared ruler. One who did what was necessary to rule, like the kings before had.

2) She’s Too Focused On Her Family

Rhaenyra Targaryen and Lucerys Velaryon
Rhaenyra Targaryen and Lucerys Velaryon

Rhaenyra Targaryen is a loving mother. She loves her sons, whether they are bastards or legitimate. And when compared with Alicent, she’s a kind and patient parent who genuinely cares about the welfare of her children. But in her love for her family, she almost forgot about her duty as heir. She tells Viserys in episode 8, when he is on his deathbed, that she doesn’t want the throne anymore but can’t back out either.

However, whether she wants or not, the line of succession led to her, and she needed to be more proactive. For example, when Viserys was unable to rule, she should have taken over as the successor rather than let the Greens seize control. Her reluctance or inability to do so shows us that she can’t balance her duty and family. As such, it’s possible that she wouldn’t care for her subjects’ well-being as Queen too.

3) Rhaenyra Is Too Short-Sighted

Joffrey Velaryon
Joffrey Velaryon

Speaking of not caring about her subjects, in the book, when Rhaenyra and her troops captured Kingslanding from the Greens, she was more focused on naming her son Joffrey as Prince of Dragonstone. And she threw a lavish party for his birthday as Kingslanding starved. Also, she raised taxes, and these events collectively ensured that her name was King Maegor with Teats.

Rhaenyra’s reputation wouldn’t have crumbled if she hadn’t been so short-sighted and had instead focused on making sure that the people she was supposed to rule over were happy with her as the Queen. Diplomacy is a thing that the book Rhaenyra lacked.

4) Not Joining The War Efforts

Rhaenyra Targaryen with her Dragon Syrax
Rhaenyra Targaryen with her Dragon Syrax

One of the most memed things in the House of the Dragon fandom is Rhaenyra not going to the battlefield to fight on Syrax. She pretty much hid behind Daemon and didn’t lead the troops by example. Also, this shows her cowardice as well as her lack of planning skills.

If she been on the battlefield with her dragon instead of hiding in castles, she would have been seen as a brave ruler. In fact, whereas Caraxes and Daemon died fighting for her cause, she died being burnt by Sunfyre. And her dragon Syrax was killed by peasants. So it was neither honorable nor brave of her to perish as so.

5) Her Lack Of Trust In Anyone

Daemon and Rhaenyra
Daemon and Rhaenyra

In George R.R. Martin’s book, as the war between the Blacks and the Greens progresses, Rhaenyra becomes more and more paranoid. She refuses to trust anyone by her side and doubts everyone’s loyalty, including Daemon. She accuses him of having an affair with the dragonseed Nettles and later orders him to bring her the head of his lover.

Apart from Daemon, she even mistrusts the maesters, and this leads to everyone on her side questioning her ability to be a stable and sane ruler.

Rhaenyra Targaryen is the divine monarch, as indicated by the White Hart appearing only in front of her. But just because she’s the chosen one, doesn’t necessarily mean she will be a good monarch. And these above traits of hers display that she wouldn’t have been a good Queen.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know.