As the contest for the Iron Throne starts once more in House of the Dragon, there are many characters vying for the title of Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
Some will undoubtedly be more hard-done-by than others – but none more so than Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, played by Eve Best.
Known as the ‘Queen Who Never Was’, Rhaenys arguably has nothing to lose – but the most to gain.
Want to know more? Read on to find out about Rhaenys Targaryen, including how she lost the Iron Throne and her plan to get it back.
Who is Rhaenys Targaryen in House of the Dragon?
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Princess Rhaenys Targaryen is the daughter of Aemon Targaryen and Lady Jocelyn Baratheon and is also a dragonrider, choosing her beastly companion of Meleys.
Her father was the Prince of Dragonstone (the heir apparent), meaning she could be considered in the line of succession to the Iron Throne after her dad.
Rhaenys gained the Old King’s blessing to marry Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and the pair were wed when she was 16.
When her father died, many thought she would be named as the Princess of Dragonstone, but Jaehaerys chose Aemon’s brother, Baelon (King Viserys’s father). Many were furious to see she’d been overlooked for a man, and her husband Corlys stepped down from his place on the small council in protest.
Following Baelon’s death, Jaehaerys had to pick yet another successor but left it with the Lords of Westeros to vote. Once again, they went with a man, choosing Baelon’s son, Viserys, as the next heir.
Thereafter, Princess Rhaenys has been dubbed the ‘Queen Who Never Was’.
**Warning: The following contains spoilers for the book and possibly the TV series**
When Viserys is encouraged to take another wife, Rhaenys and Corlys suggest their daughter Laena as a potential bride.
However, they once again find House Velaryon is scorned by House Targaryen.
In better news, she does manage to secure a marriage between Viserys’s daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock and Emma D’Arcy) and her own son, Ser Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan and Theo Nate).
But whether her bloodline will ever make it to the Iron Throne or not, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Who is Eve Best?
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Eve Best is perhaps most known for her role as Wallis Simpson in The King’s Speech, which also starred Colin Firth.
She also played Farah Dowling in Netflix’s Fate: The Winx Saga, Anna Clayton in Lucky Man and Dr Eleanor O’Hara in Nurse Jackie.
Best also starred in Prime Suspect: The Final Act, Waking the Dead, Shackleton and Casualty.
House of the Dragon premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday 22nd August 2022. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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