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.

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.

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........

© The Conversation