The fire-breathing dragons of HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon‘ might be completely fantastical, but the infamous Dance of the Dragons has a very real inspiration behind it.
Like much of George R.R. Martin’s work, the brutal Targaryen succession war draws from actual history. It tells the story of a real succession crisis in medieval England known as the Anarchy and one very legendary queen named Matilda.
The Actual Decades-Long Dance Of The Dragon
The story begins with King Henry I, who ruled England from 1100 to 1135. Although he had many illegitimate children, Henry had only two legitimate heirs: his son William and daughter Matilda.
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When Prince William died in a shipwreck, Henry was suddenly left with no male heir. The queen was already dead, and Matilda was his only legitimate child. Henry decided to name his daughter as his successor.
The decision was, as expected, very unusual and sparked opposition from many. But Henry made his nobles swear allegiance to Matilda. At the time, she was just eight years old.
Henry’s carefully constructed plan collapsed when he became seriously ill and died. During this time, Matilda was pregnant and in France, which left the throne empty. Her cousin Stephen of Blois moved quickly and seized the throne with the help of many nobles and the support of the Church.
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Matilda was not one to simply surrender. She managed to capture Stephen and take control of the throne. But when she arrived in London, her subjects rejected her.
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Many historians have suggested several possible reasons. She was reportedly described by many as arrogant and haughty and had spent much of her life outside of England. Some have also suggested that she wanted to impose a new tax on the population. But perhaps the biggest obstacle was simply that she was a woman.
Matilda faced a formidable opponent in Stephen’s wife, also named Queen Matilda, who managed to gather enough support to free her husband. With so many forces working against her, Matilda eventually had to abandon her claim to the throne and allow Stephen to take over the reign.
Yet she was still not done. Matilda shifted her focus toward securing the throne for her eldest son, Henry II. After securing many allies once again, they returned to assert their claim. By this time, the civil war had been going on for nearly two decades, and both sides were tired.
The two sides reached an agreement through the Treaty of Winchester, in which Henry II was recognized as the legitimate successor. Though Empress Matilda never got to wear the English crown herself, she remained an important advisor to her son until her death at the age of 65.
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