House Of The Dragon: Every Targaryen To Sit The Iron Throne

Whereas Jaehaerys had to strive to fix the kingdom that was torn apart by his father and his uncle, Viserys inherited a largely peaceful Westeros. Intent on keeping it that way, the King was generous, jolly, and incredibly well loved by his subjects.

Of his 26 year reign there was nothing so noteworthy as the question of succession. From his first marriage to Aemma Arryn, the King fathered two sons who died in infancy. After hearing his brother Daeron gloating that he was still the heir to the Iron Throne, the King named his daughter, Rhaenyra, as Princess of Dragonstone and next in line for the crown.

However, Aemma died during childbirth, leaving the King to remarry. Alicent Hightower became the Queen and gave Viserys four healthy children, Daeron, Aemond, Helaena, and the eldest, Aegon. This raised questions of succession. If Viserys went by the precedent set by the very same Great Council that crowned him King, the female Rhaenyra would be set aside to allow her half-brother, Aegon ascend the throne.

When the King made no move to replace his daughter as Princess of Dragonstone, the court was split into two factions. Those that supported the claim of Rhaenyra (the blacks), and those who supported Queen Alicent and the claim of her son, Aegon (the greens). The death of the King thus brought the beginning of the Targaryen civil war, colourfully referred to as the Dance of the Dragons.