What is 'The Anarchy'? HBO's 'House of the Dragon' based on tumultuous British dynasty
Set almost two centuries before the events of ‘Game of Thrones’, HBO’s upcoming series ‘House of the Dragon’ takes us back to the world where killing brutally and annihilating kingdoms with fire-breathing dragons is ordinary stuff. The show primarily focuses on House Targaryen and the time they used to rule Westeros. They were a force to be reckoned with and there was no other kingdom that could have even come closer to them as they had the advantage of having more than 20 ginormous, fire-breathing Dragons.
They won many wars and conquered several kingdoms, but how did the most powerful kingdom in the entire world get to its knees and turned into something that was unimaginable? The Targaryens went into a civil war and destroyed everything that they had. But do you know that the Civil War between the Targaryens is actually inspired by a historical event that took place in the 1100s? No, let us take you back in history and tell you an extraordinary story.
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What is ‘The Anarchy’? The real historical event that inspired ‘House of the Dragon’
The upcoming HBO fantasy drama series is loosely based on a bleak time period in English history between 1135 and 1153. Known as ‘The Anarchy’, the event started when Henry I was the ruler of England and his succession to the throne suffered a setback when he lost his only legitimate son, William Adelin, to the disaster that took place in a vessel called ‘White Ship’. The ship sank in the Channel during a trip from France to England near the Normandy coast off Barfleur. Approximately 250 people died in the accident, including marines.
Henry got worried about his legacy and didn’t waste much time in remarrying. However, he married a girl who was 35 years younger than him and to his horror, he never had other sons. After some time, he thought that it would be wise to make his daughter Empress Matilda his heir and told everyone to swear their allegiance to her.
Something similar happens in ‘House of the Dragon’ as well. King Viserys loses her wife and makes his daughter his heir. However, he marries a young girl afterward who gives birth to a son. But Viserys doesn’t change his decision and even on his deathbed, he tells everyone that Rhaenyra Targaryen will be the new ruler of this great kingdom.
Things got worse when Henry I died on December 1, 1135, and some nobles declared that they have been relieved of their duties. Now, they were looking for someone to take Henry’s place and found one in the form of Stephen of Blois, the second son of Henry’s sister Adela. They crowned him the King of England. However, Matilda was furious with the decision because she had not renounced her claim to the throne. And that’s how the CIVIL WAR began.
Now, coming back to the show, when Viserys died, some of the council members, along with Lady Alicent Hightower (Viserys’ second wife), her father Otto Hightower, and Ser Criston Cole decided not to tell Rhaenyra about his father’s death. They all decided to make Aegon, the first-born son of King Viserys, and Alicent Hightower, the new King of Westeros. Princess Rhaenyra, who was in Dragonstone at the time, got to know about this and had a coronation as well. So technically, Westeros had two new rulers now. Alicent sent Rhaenyra a proposal of being the Queen of Dragonstone for life and she can pass the baton to her next generation.
Rhaenyra refused the proposal and that’s when the CIVIL WAR between two sections of the House Targaryen. Princess Rhaenyra is an analog of Empress Matilda and was named her father’s heir in lieu of a legitimate son. So, ‘The Anarchy’ is one of the extraordinary events that have played a significant role in the making of ‘House of the Dragon’.
'House of the Dragon' premieres exclusively on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, August 21, at 9 pm EST.