WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for House of the Dragon season 2 and George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood book!

Summary

• Rhaenyra Targaryen becomes Queen at King's Landing in House of the Dragon, despite her short and turbulent reign.
• Rhaenyra seizes the Iron Throne with dragons and a formidable team, facing riots and ultimately a tragic fate.
• Despite being the rightful heir named by King Viserys, Rhaenyra's reign is short-lived and controversial in Westeros history.

Rhaenyra Targaryen already has a crown and army, but does she become the official Queen on the Iron Throne in Game of Thrones' history of Westeros would suggest that a queen hadn’t officially ascended the Iron Throne until Cersei Lannister, this isn’t entirely accurate. Rhaenyra Targaryen was, in fact, the first Targaryen woman to officially be named heir to the Iron Throne, become the Princess of Dragonstone, and be crowned, but her future status as the recognized Queen is a contentious subject.

While King Viserys I Targaryen always maintained that Rhaenyra was his heir, even entrusting her with Aegon's Song of Ice and Fire dream, her birthright is usurped by her half-brother Aegon Targaryen and his Green Council. As Rhaenys Targaryen predicted, “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.” Rhaenyra is crowned on Dragonstone and amasses a fearsome army across the realm as she and Aegon fight for the crown in a devastating war, with her sights set on ruling as the undisputed Queen at King's Landing.

Rhaenyra Targaryen Does Become Queen In House Of The Dragon

Rhaenyra Sits On The Iron Throne & Takes King's Landing

While she has to fight a catastrophic civil war to claim her crown, Rhaenyra Targaryen technically does become queen in House of the Dragon. Rhaenyra takes King's Landing from the Greens and sits on the Iron Throne, ruling there while Aegon is "missing" and Aemond is at Harrenhal with Vhagar. However, Rhaenyra becoming Queen at King's Landing doesn't signal the end of the Dance of the Dragons – and it doesn't mean history properly re her reign.

Eventually, Aegon kills Rhaenyra Targaryen and retakes the capital and the Iron Throne. At this point, Aegon orders that Rhaenyra’s reign as queen be officially erased from the histories and that she only be referred to as “princess” in court records. Hence, why Game of Thrones suggests that there had never been a true queen in Westeros.

Rhaenyra becoming Queen at King's Landing doesn't signal the end of the Dance of the Dragons – and it doesn't mean history properly re her reign.

How Rhaenyra Becomes Queen In House Of The Dragon

Rhaenyra Takes King's Landing With A Team Of Dragonriders & The Velaryon Fleet

In George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood book, Rhaenyra takes King's Landing and the Iron Throne in a somewhat similar way to Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. With a team of formidable dragons and dragonriders, a huge host in the Riverlands, Aegon away from King's Landing, and Aemond at Harrenhal, Rhaenyra's Team Black successfully takes King's Landing in less than a day. In House of the Dragon's season 2 finale, Alicent tells Rhaenyra she'll surrender King's Landing to her, which is similar to what happens in the book.

With Daemon Targaryen on Caraxes, Rhaenyra on Syrax, the "dragonseeds" on their dragons, Baela on Moondancer, presumably Rhaena on Sheepstealer, and Corlys Velaryon’s fleet in Blackwater Bay, Team Black secures King's Landing with relatively little bloodshed. Alicent and Helaena surrender the city to Rhaenyra, but remain in King's Landing throughout the Queen's reign. While Queen Rhaenyra sits on the Iron Throne, King Aegon II Targaryen secretly takes Dragonstone and Aemond makes his moves in the Riverlands.

What Rhaenyra's Time As Queen Is Like & How Long She Rules For

Rhaenyra Only Rules For Six Months On The Iron Throne

Rhaenyra’s time on the Iron Throne isn’t particularly successful, as the House of the Dragon character flees King’s Landing after ruling for six months and soon meets a tragic end when confronted by her brother. When Rhaenyra finally takes King's Landing, she finds that the crown's coin has been emptied by Aegon, leading her council to impose hefty taxes on the smallfolk and unfavorable policies to rebuild their resources. This leads to the smallfolk of King's Landing turning against her, with some dangerous riots ensuing.

Making unsettling times even worse, King's Landing erupts into a devastating riot after the death of Helaena Targaryen by suicide. The following riots escalate into the Storming of the Dragonpit, which sees the smallfolk break into the Dragonpit and kill the four dragons inside as well as Rhaenyra's dragon Syrax. The Storming of the Dragonpit also culminates in the death of Rhaenyra's son Joffrey when he attempts to flee, causing Rhaenyra to finally flee King's Landing. Unfortunately, when Rhaenyra returns to Dragonstone, she's met by Aegon Targaryen, who orders his dragon to fatally burn and devour her.

Rhaenyra is later referred to as the "Half-Year Queen" due to her short reign on the Iron Throne.

Is Rhaenyra The Rightful Ruler In House Of The Dragon?

Rhaenyra Was Named The Rightful Heir By King Viserys

Whether Rhaenyra is the rightful ruler of the Iron Throne is certainly the question at the heart of House of the Dragon’s story. Outside the sexist custom of male primogeniture, Rhaenyra Targaryen would have been considered the rightful ruler of Westeros after the death of her father. However, since Rhaenys was ed over as heir in the Great Council at Harrenhal, Westeros had already set a precedent for the eldest male child to be preferred as heir over the eldest female.

Despite this, Rhaenyra still had the best claim to the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon, as her father had officially decreed that she be named his heir, which he maintained even after he had sons. Had Alicent given Viserys only daughters, there would have been no significant dispute over whether Rhaenyra Targaryen should be the rightful ruler, as Daemon had already been removed as heir. Because Rhaenyra is a woman going up against the claim of a man, she has to begin a civil war to claim her rightful seat in House of the Dragon.