British Empire vs Targaryen Dynasty

Dominick Reed Jr.

8 August 2024

The most successful and popular book series has often existed in the realm of fiction and what readers call “fantastical.” Fantasy, a once niche and categorized genre, quickly grew into one of the most craved forms of reading and writing. Many have argued that works of fiction have a slight edge over nonfiction as the creative mind will often triumph over typical reality. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin is an intricate high fantasy series that became the inspiration for arguably the most prosperous and highest-grossing television series of all time, Game of Thrones. Contrary to certain beliefs, fiction and fantasy can provide insights and examinations of something authentic, such as the British Monarchy and its long line of crazed rulers, cruel actions, and seemingly everlasting trauma. What is shaped when nonfiction and fiction clash together in the realm of the fantastical? 

Empress Matilda, an often forgotten figure of British history, became of the pinnacle inspiration for Martin’s beautiful, captivating, and dragon-blooded Queen Rhaenyra. Shall we examine two sides of the same coin? The infamous Empress Matilda and the fictional Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen; each woman was declared the rightful heir, and each would succeed their ruling fathers. However, on account of their sex, each woman was usurped by a male family member. The examination of historical figures like Empress Matilda demonstrates an example of how the realities and atrocities of the vast British Empire largely inspired A Song of Ice and Fire and aided in the creation of a hulking pop culture phenomenon. Historians would quickly point out that Empress Matilda was never regarded as a ruling monarch as she was quickly displaced by an older male cousin. It would sadly seem Queen Rhaenyra would follow in the footsteps of the woman who inspired her creation. Nevertheless, a bloody war ensued for both women, fact and fiction. Matilda and Rhaenyra may not have secured their thrones, but it was not for a lack of trying. Many supporters rose up to defend Queen Rhaenyra’s succession, and such was the case when countrymen and nobles alike defended Matilda’s rise as the first Queen of England. Some of Rhaenyra’s allies stated, “​​They called themselves the Winter Wolves. “We have come to die for the dragon queen” (402). 

A Song of Ice and Fire is typically classified as being a part of the adult fantasy genre, with the terms grimdark and political fantasy often attached. Yet, many readers of Martin’s expansive fantasy series would say that A Song of Ice and Fire encompasses so much more than what is usually under the fantasy umbrella. Martin’s series begins with the first entry, A Game of Thrones, which reveals the continent of Westeros ruled by the Seven Kingdoms and its seat of power, the Iron Throne. The noble houses of Westeros plot, scheme, and murder for more power which creates cyclical conflicts of war that ravage noble and common folk alike. Readers of the books and viewers of the show often have shared experiences when they are thrown into the lives of inhabitants of The Seven Kingdoms: the story quickly reveals that incestuous relationships are pretty standard within the royal family, the Targaryens. The Targaryen family directly correlates and is inspired by historical British practices of the monarchy, as dramatically seen with English royal figures like Joanna of Castile, Queen Victoria, and King Ludwig II, all products of the mutations of inbreeding. An article from History Collection states, “On paper, the idea makes perfect sense: marry a relative, keep the bloodline utterly pure by producing children from consanguineous marriages, and if a dispute should arise within the family, have the conflicting parties get married. What could possibly go wrong?” (Trista 1). Much like the fictional Targaryens, history remembers countless royal families adopting incestuous marriages in some capacity, which resulted from a variety of factors, but one reigns higher than others: political alliances. Inbreeding was quite common in numerous royal families from different eras and countries throughout history. Nevertheless, it is in the interest of this paper to only draw upon the historical occupants of the British Empire as many of them share similar mindsets and archetypal parallels to the Targaryens. Both families, one real and one crafted, believed their royal line was pure and, therefore, must be kept pure through familiar blood. Andremember, each family became responsible for governing the safety and stability of countless lives. Indeed, what could go wrong? 

A later entry from A Song of Ice and Fire, Fire and Blood depicts Queen Rhaenyra and her conflict with securing the Iron Throne, which ultimately becomes an event known as “The Dance of Dragons.” Upon the death of her father, King Viserys, the royal court is split in two, with each determined to place their choice on the throne. On one side, the Blacks, and on the other side, the Greens. The Blacks state that Rhaenyra was the chosen heir by the previous king and must claim her throne at all costs. The Greens state that Rhaenyra is unfit to rule and should be replaced by her half-brother, Aegon, which is exactly what unfolds. One night, King Viserys falls fast asleep for the final time, which injects his younger son, Aegon, the usurper, to take the throne. Thus, the raging war, the death of thousands, the clash of dragons, and unfathomable loss now begins. When looking at history, “The Dance of Dragons” has a lot of similarities with the English Anarchy, whereupon the death of Henry I, his heir, Empress Matilda, was passed over in favor of her cousin, Stephen of Blois, who would now rule. The English Anarchy encompassed a bloody civil war between cousins that not only destroyed much of the country but also destroyed a woman’s right to rule. A woman was passed over to rule, and the English country wept over the blood and ash. In the article “Empress Matilda, George R. R. Martin’s Muse,” it is stated that “Much from Matilda and Stephen’s real-life war makes the transition to Martin’s realm: the family feud, the kingdom split in two, bloodshed in the high thousands, and, of course, the grand prize of a throne. All Martin has added is the dragons” (Zarevich 1). The author states that “All Martin has added is the dragons” and does not necessarily point to a negative aspect of Martin’s creation but instead points to the extreme parallels between real life and high fantasy. The clashing of dragons in Martin’s world is quite fun and epic for readers and fans to shout and cheer for more. However, the true intent behind the dragons fighting one another is to demonstrate how destructive and meaningless war can be. In Fire and Blood, one of Rhaenyra’s allies delivers some harsh words to the man who aided Aegon in stealing his sister’s throne, “I’ll have no songs about how brave you died, Kingmaker. There’s tens o’thousands dead on your account,” (478). Of course, it is fascinatingly epic to read about dragons tearing each other apart, but Martin makes it clear that such a war leaves everyone and everything broken and buried. The divide of the royal family, the clashing of dragons, and the eventual death of the dragons all became the direct causation that began when an older sister was displaced by a younger brother. 

As alluded to before, Queen Rhaenyra’s story is a fascinating tale with a tragic end. Contextually, the examination ofRhaenyra’s demise showcases a fallen failed monarch who was never truly given a fair shot at the fully supported inheritance of the crown. Subtextually, the displacement of the rightful heir further emphasizes the point that, on account of gender, a woman would never solely inherit the power of the crown. Drawing from distinct historical parallels, Empress Matilda’s failed campaign to reclaim a throne once promised to her would continue the long practice of displacing femininity with masculine forces. George R.R. Martin’s deeply nuanced, inspired, and intentional writing demonstrates that the characters, events, plotlines, twists, climaxes, endings, and symbolism are each constructed with a more prominent theme or idea in mind. As such, with Martin’s writing, audiences will experience tragedy followed by tragedy that astonishingly becomes layers of deliberate parallels and correlations, especially when considering the historical implications. In the book Iron, Fire, and Ice: The Real History That Inspired Game of Thrones, the author points to these historical implications: “As well as being an epic fantasy in its own right, Game of Thrones is also a fantastic (in both senses of the word) retelling of the story of the real Realm—England… And the struggle for the throne of England, from the Saxon invasion in the fifth century to the downfall of the House of York a millennium later, is as fascinating as any fiction on earth” (Hardman 3). 

Is it the dragons, knights with flaming swords, or magic that drew in readers of the series and viewers of the show? In part, it was both, but it was more so the enticing characters, rich plotlines, and shocking twists that brought back audiences each week and eventually grew into one of the largest fan bases in pop culture. Even when the book series, as of June 2024, has yet to be finished by Martin. A Song of Ice and Fire, an explosive culmination of fantasy, tragedy, heroism, cyclical themes, and historical inspirations, has risen into one of the strongest pop culture phenomenons yet remains an uncompleted series. What other historical implications and parallels will Martin continue to draw on from British history with the final two books in the series yet to be released?

A large point of Martin’s development of Rhaenyra’s complex associations with power, greed, and scandals is to further present the reader with the clear contrasts to her male counterparts, ultimately suggesting that had she been born a man, none of her “negative” attributes would have become a factor to her entitlement to the crown. Just as Empress Matilda scabbled to gather forces and rebuild her good name, Rhaenyra gathered more allies than her half-brother, the usurper. Yet, as Martin will continuously build upon in the Ice and Fire universe, this world that is much like our own is not always kind to women, high ladies, and queens alike. Martin has seemingly written Rhaenyra to be a deeply flawed and subversive to not only partially reflect her inspired counterpart, Empress Matilda, but also to partially subtextually implicate that these two women, both fact and fiction, would have never truly claimed their birthright and ruled uncontested. Rhaenyra and Matilda could have been the most stellar, noteworthy, and liked characters ever to step up to inherit the position of sole ruler for their kingdoms, but as women, they would never truly rule. Martin weaves harsh yet factual events as the basis for some of his inspirations to maintain the absolute tragedies circulating across history; nevertheless, sometimes, the smallest silver linings blossom out of the cruelest acts. Rhaenyra and Matilda would each fail to inherit what many thought should have always been theirs to begin with. Even so, both women had sons who eventually became king and secured the family bloodline. In the case of A Song of Ice and Fire and a trip down the history of the British Monarchy, fact and fiction alike seem to offer these silver linings amongst tragic events. 

In truth, Rhaenyra’s quest to secure her throne and remembrance as the first ruling queen died with her last shrieking curse against her brother as his dragon bathed her in pools of flames. A brother takes his sister’s life, but Westerosi history only remembers the day King Aegon II overcame the unfit queen in place of a better, masculine, and traditional king. Nevertheless, of course, this is only fiction. Martin constructed Fire and Blood to be read like a traditional history book, unlike the other books in A Song of Ice and Fire. Fire and Blood details generations of royal Targaryens in the same sense that an English history textbook would depict British royals. Yes, Fire and Blood is fiction, of course. Yet, released in 2018, readers and fans of Fire and Blood are still finding new correlations and discoveries that shockingly reveal the vast similarities the Targaryens have with the British Monarchy. The tragedies and intricate characters of the ever-fictional and fantastical Fire and Blood become all the more real and frightening when its inspirations come to light. 

Works Cited 

Hardman, West Edith Sharon. Iron, Fire, and Ice: The Real History That Inspired Game of Thrones. Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2019.

Martin, George R.R. A Game of Thrones. A Song of Ice and Fire. HarperVoyager, 2011. 

Martin, George  R.R. Fire and Blood. Bantam , 2022. 

Trista. “16 Royals Who Suffered from Hereditary Mutations and Defects Caused by Inbreeding.”

HistoryCollection,historycollection.com/16-royals-who-suffered-from-hereditary-mutations-and-defects-caused-by-inbreeding/’ .Accessed 23 June 2024. 

Zarevich , Emily. “Empress Matilda, George R. R. Martin’s Muse” – Jstor Daily, 15 Aug. 2023,

 daily.jstor.org/empress-matilda-george-r-r-martins-muse/. Accessed 23 June 2024.