Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of House of the Dragon.Although the first season of House of the Dragon featured a fair amount of necessary table setting, the final two episodes took an interesting approach in the way that they set up the Dance of Dragons. While “The Green Council” is focused on the naming of King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) in King’s Landing, “The Black Queen” centers on Rhaenyra’s ascension in Dragonstone. The next season will presumably focus on the search for allies as both the Greens and the Blacks approach different allies about joining their side.
These ceremonies couldn’t be any more different. Aegon II is crowned before a massive crowd, and gradually raises his sword in celebration after hearing the cheers of the spectators. It’s a moment that’s immediately devastated by violence when Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) shows up on the back of her dragon. Comparatively, Rhaenyra receives her coronation in a private ceremony as she mourns the death of her stillborn child. These dueling sequences signify the types of rulers that they will become.
The Difference Between Rhaenyra and Aegon's Crowns
Aegon II doesn’t just inherit the name of his ancestor “Aegon the Conqueror;” he also receives his sword and crown. Although Aegon I wasn’t the first member of the Targaryen lineage, he was the most influential. Aegon’s siege and unification of the Seven Kingdoms placed the “House of the Dragon” in a position of power that they would maintain for generations. It signified that they were a dynasty that should be revered as gods, and feared for their rage.
These are qualities that Aegon II has inherited. He may have initially tried to abandon King’s Landing to spend time in a brothel, but Aegon II has the same fiery rage that has plagued so many members of his family. He has a dominant personality; whether he’s assaulting a chambermaid, bullying his brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), insulting his nephews at the dinner table, or callously spending time with sex workers, Aegon II is determined to get anything he wants based on force. The crown of a conqueror is fitting for the show’s biggest bully.
Comparatively, Rhaenyra receives the same crown that her father, King Viserys I (Paddy Considine), wore during his reign. Viserys inherited this crown from his predecessor, King Jaehaerys I, who led the Seven Kingdoms to an unprecedented period of peace. He was able to put an end to the familial civil war and make peace with radical members of the Faith of the Seven. Viserys inherited this aptitude for peace and prosperity; he may not have been a perfect King, but Viserys tried at all costs to prevent bloodshed. It was his last wish to his family that they come together and stop bickering.
This crown represents both fellowship and love. In one of the show’s most moving moments, Daemon (Matt Smith) picks up the crown after Viserys drops it during his long walk to the throne in “The Lord of Tides.” At this moment of compassion, all the issues they’ve had with each other in the past seem to disappear. These qualities are ones Rhaenyra seeks to honor. She refuses to declare war until after the death of her son, insisting that she can find reason with Alicent’s (Olivia Cooke) heart.
The Two Coronation Ceremonies Highlight Their Personalities
There’s a stark difference in where the two rulers have their ceremonies. Aegon II is really just a showman, who has no interest in leadership and no qualities of a leader. He requires the admiration of his subjects and the appearance of his family to seem like a legitimate King. It’s fitting that Aegon II is egged on by the crowd; we know that he spends time among them, as he frequents the brothels of King’s Landing and has multiple illegitimate children.
It’s similarly indicative that his ascension is immediately disrupted. We see the type of ruler that Aegon II is; he cowers behind his mother in fear when Rhaenys shows up, and doesn’t make any quick-witted decisions to defend his new throne. It seems as if the only reason he is spared is because of the compassion Rhaenys has for Alicent. It foreshadows what Aegon II’s reign will look like; he’ll manage to elude consequences as the common people suffer.
Rhaenyra’s ascension comes after she loses her child. It’s sadly ironic that this is also how she was first named as her father’s heir, as Viserys selected her as his successor after the death of his wife Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) in childbirth. She has to show resilience in the face of tragedy. It’s a cruel world where she must be celebrated as a Queen as she mourns both her father and unborn child.
Rhaenyra is crowned at her family’s ancient castle in Dragonstone. The conflicted look on Rhaenyra’s face indicates the probing questions she will face. She never asked for this responsibility, but she knows that her father selected her because of the “A Song Of Ice And Fire” prophecy. It’s duty that calls her to take command, and it’s justice that brings her into war.