A new ruling monarch in Westeros was finally revealed by HBO in House of the Dragon, marking just the second time in history that a woman has sat on the Iron Throne as the sole ruler of the continent. At its core, the A Song of Ice and Fire world and story revolves around who sits on the Iron Throne. For eight seasons, Game of Thrones captivated audiences by featuring a conflict where multiple characters sat on the throne while everyone else tried to get them off it so they could claim it for themselves. House of the Dragon is a bit different in the sense that there are only two major characters fighting for the right to rule.
House of the Dragon Season 3 is currently airing on HBO and HBO Max. Episode 2 (titled "Queen's Landing") gave fans the chance to see a new ruler sit on the Iron Throne, and it was extremely historic. Specifically, Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen flew on their dragons, Syrax and Caraxes, from Dragonstone to King's Landing.
They did so because Aegon II Targaryen (who was the sitting king) fled the city and his brother, Aemond, took his own dragon and flew to Harrenhal to search for Daemon. Alicent Hightower, the Queen Dowager, secretly promised Rhaenyra that she would allow Rhaenyra to take King's Landing for herself after Aegon and Aemond were gone, and that is exactly what happened.
At the end of Episode 2, after Daemon cut down those in King's Landing who were going to be loyal to the Greens until their very end, Rhaenyra finally entered the Great Hall and stood before the Iron Throne. After Alicent's father, Otto Hightower, was brought before her and she beheaded him as a show of strength, Rhaenyra climbed the steps and sat down on the Iron Throne.
This was a major moment in Westeros' history, especially on-screen, because it marked only the second time ever that a woman sat on the Iron Throne as the ruling monarch.
The first time that it happened, and the only other character to do so, was in Game of Thrones Season 6, Episode 10 (titled "The Winds of Winter"), when Lena Headey's Cersei Lannister took the throne after the deaths of King Tommen Baratheon and his wife, the Queen Consort Margaery Tyrell. Cersei ruled as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms from Season 6, Episode 10 until her death in Season 8, Episode 5 (titled "The Bells").
Since this is only the second time in a Song of Ice and Fire TV show that a woman has been the ruling monarch, it is difficult for a woman to be put in that very position. Throughout Westeros' history in George R.R. Martin's source material, Westeros has been portrayed as a quite misogynistic place where women aren't easily accepted as rulers.
Fans saw how difficult it was for Rhaenyra to finally obtain the throne. She has been trying for multiple seasons now, as she first discovered that her father wanted her to succeed him in the middle of Season 1. So, it was hard for her to finally achieve sitting on the throne, but, unfortunately for her, it will be even more trying to maintain her position.
Season 3, Episode 3 already proved that Rhaenyra severed any connection she had to good faith with lords and ladies after she tried feeding them rats and sent the City Watch to their houses to take their money, so she is not going to have an easy road as queen.
Rhaenyra will also have to worry about Aegon and Aemond returning to King's Landing and making another play at the throne, so although she finally sat on the throne as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, her hardest days are ahead of her.
Other Women Who Have Sat on the Iron Throne in the Game of Thrones Universe
While Rhaenyra Targaryen and Cersei Lannister are the only two women who have sat on the Iron Throne as the ruling monarch, they are not the only females to physically sit down on the throne. In certain cases, other women sat there, but not many.
One of the most practiced customs in Westeros since Aegon the Conqueror became ruler is the appointment of a Hand of the King. It is widely believed that this started after Aegon I's conquest of Westeros and at the start of his reign as king. Essentially, a Hand of the King is meant to advise the sitting ruler, and, in their absence, sit on the throne for them.
Aegon the Conqueror appointed Orys Baratheon to be the first Hand of the King, but he resigned just four years into Aegon's reign after he lost his hand. It is unclear whether Aegon appointed another Hand after Orys' resignation. However, what is known is that both of Aegon's wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, would sit on the Iron Throne when Aegon was away. Essentially, it seemed as though Visenya and Rhaenys would handle Aegon's business while he was away instead of a Hand of the King.
So, technically, Visenya and Rhaenys, who were both Queen Consorts during Aegon's rule, sat on the Iron Throne. They were not ruling monarchs like Rhaenyra and Cersei, but they did sit on the throne and wield substantial power.
Aside from the four characters mentioned, no other woman has ever technically sat on the throne. It is worth noting that Daenerys Targaryen did take over as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms at the end of Game of Thrones. But she only ruled for one hour and was never even depicted sitting on the throne before she was killed by Jon Snow, so she still doesn't count.
