With just days to go until the premiere of the “Game of Thrones” prequel series “House of the Dragon,” the anticipation on social media has already started to skyrocket. The HBO series largely focuses on House Targaryen and its mighty kingdom and is set nearly 300 years before the events of “Game of Thrones.” For 300 years, the Targaryens ruled Westeros and saw many ups and downs. However, a lot changed and a civil war broke out when King Viserys I Targaryen decided to appoint a new successor to the Iron Throne, which led to the downfall of the house.
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen and a dragon rider who aspires to be the first reigning queen of the Seven Kingdoms, will be one of the new characters the series introduces who we’ve previously only heard of. during “Game of thrones. She faced many difficulties in her life, and at the age of 8, it was declared that she would inherit the kingdom. So she grew up expecting rule Westeros. But as is also the case with her, men will not allow a woman to sit on the throne. She is one of the most intriguing characters in “A Song of Ice and Fire” from George RR Martin and has some traits with Daenerys.
So let’s look at her journey and how she rose to the thrones.
Dragon House
Who is Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen?
Rhaenyra, the only surviving child of King Viserys I and Lady Aemma of House Arryn, was born in 97 AD. His two brothers both died when they were very young. At the age of seven, Rhaenyra adopted a dragon and gave it the name Syrax. She began serving at various events at the age of 8, when she began serving as her father’s cupbearer. Rhaenyra’s mother died in the year 105 AC while giving birth to her second brother, who died the following day. King Viserys I declared his firstborn heir to the throne after their deaths and informed everyone that Rhaenyra will rule the kingdom after him.
Many people did not take King Viserys’ will seriously, despite the fact that it included a confirmation that Rhaenyra would succeed him as head of house. Aegon II, the son of Queen Alicent Hightower and Ser Otto Hightower, was crowned the new King of the Seven Kingdoms in defiance of everything stated in the will of Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and Ser Criston Cole. , Lord Commander of the Royal Guard. The choice to install Aegon as the next ruler caused much conflict and launched the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen Civil War, which marked the beginning of the end for House Targaryen.
The death of King Viserys was hidden from Princess Rhaenyra, who was on Dragonstone awaiting the birth of her sixth child, by a particular part of the kingdom. Before Aegon II was crowned, his followers were imprisoned or murdered. Rhaenyra was furious when she heard the news and went into labor early, giving birth to Visenya, a malformed and stillborn girl. Rhaenyra, however, wasted no time in arranging her own coronation and became the next monarch of Westeros. As soon as King’s Landing learned of her coronation, they offered her terms under which she and her ancestors could continue to rule Dragonstone if she renounced her claims. Rhaenyra objected and conflict erupted.
Who are Emma D’Arcy and Milly Alcock? Meet the actors playing Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
In the show, Rhaenyra will be played by two different actors and will appear in two different iterations. Milly Alcock will play the younger version of Princess Rhaenyra, and the incredibly brilliant Emma D’Arcy will play the older version of the same character.
Milly Alcock
Australian actress Milly Alcock, born April 11, 2000, made her television debut in 2014 with a brief appearance in “Wonderland.” She has, however, featured in TV commercials for companies like NBN, Cadbury, KFC and Woolworths. The rising star has only appeared in one feature film so far and has usually been seen in TV series. She has won numerous acting awards for her performances in the TV series ‘A Place to Call Home’, ‘Fighting Season’, ‘The Gloaming’ and ‘Reckoning’. But she rose to prominence in Australia through the 2019 TV series “Upright,” for which she won the Casting Guild of Australia Award.
Alcock’s first acting role in an American television series will be in “House of the Dragon”.
Emma d’Arcy
Before making her screen or television debut, the gifted British actress began her acting career by participating in several theatrical performances. D’Arcy made her television debut in 2018 and joined Toni Collette in the main cast of the Netflix series “Wanderlust.” 2020 turned out to be a big year for the actress as she appeared in pivotal roles in the high profile TV productions ‘Hanna’ and ‘Truth Seekers’ as well as the feature film ‘Misbehavior’.
She has high expectations for “House of the Dragon”, which will undoubtedly be her biggest part yet. D’Arcy mentioned that Rhaenyra was “pushing genre boundaries” in an interview with Entertainment Weekly when discussing her character. She’s someone who feels at odds with how the world perceives her, she said, even with the title “Realm’s Delight,” which indicates passivity and is the object of admiration. She really pushes her partners, often to the point where they are unable to continue, and then she repeats the prophecy.
We can’t wait to see Princess Rhaenyra portrayed on TV by Alcock and D’Arcy.
On Sunday, August 21 at 9 p.m. EST, HBO and HBO Max will premiere “House of the Dragon.”
