Dragons may be fictional, but the struggle for the throne, influence and legitimacy in House of the Dragons has roots in conflicts that shaped real history.
Long before the fictional Westeros, women across Europe and Asia faced rival claimants, political factions and systems designed to keep them from power.
Like Rhaenys Targaryen, Alicent Hightower and other powerful women in the series, they learned to navigate court, forge alliances, manage public opinion and fight for their place in the political order. Here are four of the real women who inspired the characters in the TV series.
1. Rhaenyra Targaryen and Empress Matilda (1102–1167)
Like the real Empress Matilda in England, the fictional Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Emma D’Arcy) faces criticism from her contemporaries and rivals for qualities that often earn the admiration of male rulers – including determination, pride and political ambition. While both women came close to achieving their goals and nearly retained power, neither held it for long.
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They both faced determined opposition from rival claimants. Matilda entered London in 1141 and was recognised as England’s ruler, but was driven out before being crowned.
Bavarian State Library, Munich
Matilda’s claim to the kingdom was contested by her cousin Stephen of Blois, whose seizure of the English throne triggered the civil war known as the anarchy.
Similarly, in House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra’s claim was challenged by her half-brother Aegon II, despite her father’s clear designation of her as heir. Aegon’s coronation divides Westeros and plunges it into conflict.
In both cases, crises emerge because powerful factions oppose a female ruler. The author of the Game of Thrones book series that inspired the show, George R.R. Martin, has cited England’s 12th-century anarchy as inspiration for Westeros’s struggles.
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2. Rhaenys Targaryen and Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1124-1204)
Like Rhaenys Targaryen (played by Eve Best), Eleanor of Aquitaine held a position that gave her prestige and influence – queen of France and later England. Although neither became the principal ruler of their kingdom, both wield considerable political power through family ties, diplomacy and reputation.
HBO
Eleanor was respected for her political acumen and ability to navigate dynastic conflict, much like Rhaenys.
National Museum Cardiff
She played a key role in France and England, whereas Rhaenys is one of the experienced and level-headed voices within the Targaryen family. They share an understanding of succession and family alliances, shaping the political future of their descendants beyond their generation.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was a political figure who served as regent, negotiated alliances and directly governed the state. By contrast, Rhaenys exerts influence through counsel, family ties and her place in the Targaryen dynasty. Eleanor’s power spanned kingdoms and decades, while Rhaenys’s role is largely confined to the struggle between rival claimants to the iron throne – the seat of power in Westeros.
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3. Alicent Hightower and Catherine de’ Medici (1519–1589)
Like Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) in House of the Dragon, Queen Consort of France Catherine de’ Medici sought to secure her children’s future and strengthen her dynasty during political instability.
HBO
In the show, Alicent uses dynastic marriage alliances as political tools, viewing her children’s connections as vital to safeguarding her family’s future – just as Catherine did in real life.
Wiki Commons
Both women found themselves at the centre of affairs in times of crisis: Alicent during the dance of the dragons (a catastrophic civil war of succession), Catherine during the French wars of religion (eight significant civil conflicts fought between French Catholics and Calvinist Protestants).
Though devoted to their children’s futures, both women ultimately witnessed dynastic tragedy. Catherine outlived several children, while in House of the Dragon, Alicent sees her family destroyed by civil war.
Following the death of Henry II in 1559, Catherine became a leading figure in French politics, serving as regent for her son Charles IX and later as chief adviser to some of the Valois kings, a branch of the Capetian dynasty that ruled France from 1328 to 1589.
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By contrast, Alicent exerts influence through her status as queen, the king’s mother and a member of the Hightower family. She is devoted to the Faith of the Seven, the dominant religion of Westeros, and justifies her actions with religious rhetoric. Catherine, though Catholic, adopted a pragmatic approach, prioritising dynastic stability and the interests of the French crown over confessional loyalty.
4. Helaena Targaryen and Zinaida Volkonskaya (1792–1862)
Not all influential women through history have sought power directly. Like Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) in House of the Dragon, the Russian princess Zinaida Volkonskaya belonged to high echelons but remained removed from politics.
In the TV show, Helaena is known as the “dreamer of House Targaryen”, set apart from the rest of her family by prophetic visions. Volkonskaya, meanwhile, was known for her intellectual and artistic interests. Like Helaena, who is beloved in the capital city of Westeros, King’s Landing, she inspired admiration beyond her circles. Volkonskaya’s salons attracted Tsar Alexander I.
HBO
The key difference between Volkonskaya and the fictional Helaena lies in how they expressed their talents. Helaena has remained on the sidelines of public life, rarely turning her visions or ideas into political action. By contrast, Volkonskaya transformed her intellectual and artistic interests into cultural influence.
As well as hosting salons in Moscow and Rome, she wrote poetry, composed music, performed in private theatres and became a patron of the arts. Whereas Helaena’s influence is personal and symbolic, Volkonskaya’s was active, public and cultural, exercised through the networks she created.
Hermitage Museum
The real historical women whose stories can be found in the heroines of House of the Dragon exercised power in very different ways. Empress Matilda fought for a throne that many believed a woman should never have inherited. Eleanor of Aquitaine shaped the politics of kingdoms through diplomacy, family alliances and her own experiences.
Catherine de’ Medici sought to preserve her dynasty during one of the most turbulent periods in French history. And Zinaida Volkonskaya demonstrated that influence can be wielded through culture, patronage and social networks, rather than solely through official political office.
Their stories are a reminder that female power has never been confined to a single model. Some women ruled; others advised, negotiated, engaged in patronage, or inspired. But they are united by their ability to shape the world around them, despite the constraints imposed upon them.
