I have thought about this for a long time and there’s no doubt in my mind that it’ll prove to be true. King Jaehaerys Targaryen is going to end up looking like the worst king from House of the Dragon, and he deserves it.
King Jaehaerys Targaryen isn’t going to be shown a lot in this series as he dies 30 years before the Dance of the Dragons war begins. In truth, I’d be surprised if he makes it out of Episode 1 alive.
But that doesn’t mean he won’t be the worst king to sit the Iron Throne during the show’s (hopefully) long run.
“How?” you may be asking. “How is a guy who will only be in a few episodes (at most) be the worst king from the show when there’s going to be over five shown?” Well, to answer that question, the reason Jaehaerys is going to look the worst is because HE IS THE WORST.
He’s the reason why House Targaryen nearly collapses during the Dance as it was his terrible decision in 101 AC that split the Seven Kingdoms in half.
What was the decision? The Great Council of 101 AC.
With both of his sons, Aemon and Baelon, dead, Jaehaerys decided to skip over his firstborn son’s daughter, Princess Rhaenys (and her son Laenor Velaryon), and call a great council for all of the lords of Westeros to come and cast a vote as to who should be the next ruler. Of course, Rhaenys, a woman, lost to Prince Viserys, the eventual king in House of the Dragon.
(HBO-House of the Dragon-Official Teaser Trailer)
This decision not only alienated Rhaenys and her family, the Velaryons, but also completely disregarded the rules of succession. Under Westeros’ primogeniture succession laws, the eldest son (or daughter if only females) and his (or her) offspring comes first in the line of succession before any of their younger siblings and their offspring.
However, Jaehaerys, for whatever reason (which I list my theories below), decided it would be a good idea to disregard the laws his grandfather, King Aegon the Conqueror, set in order to have a shady council vote take place instead.
When Rhaenys and her supporters (the Velaryons, Starks, and Baratheons) lost the vote, this obviously pinned them against Viserys’ supporters (the Hightowers, Lannisters, Brackens, and Tyrells). Thus, two conflicting factions of Westeros’ greatest houses formed and were at odds with one another for decades afterwards all because of Jaehaerys’ council.
Now, as I mentioned, I have three theories as to why Jaehaerys’ decided to form a great council:
A) He was just flat-out sexists and didn’t want his granddaughter on the Iron Throne:
Now, look, everybody back in the medieval times (which Westeros, GOT, HOTD, and ASOIAF was inspired by) was sexist to varying extents, which doesn’t make it right, but that’s just how things were.
Therefore, this theory could be right, and the answer is simply that Jaehaerys was just a sexist king that didn’t want his granddaughter sitting on the Iron Throne. But seeing as George R.R. Martin is the author behind this story, I find it impossible to believe there was not some sinister plot at work behind this council. (Theory Grade: C-)
B) Jaehaerys feared the Velaryon’s rising power and wanted to deny them the throne:
Okay, this one I find a little more believable. The Velaryons were the richest house in all of Westeros at the time, they had the largest fleet in Westeros, the head of the house, Corlys Velaryon, was the most well-known and ambitious man in all of Westeros, and Princess Rhaenys’ dragon-riding blood allowed her Velaryon children and grandchildren to also ride dragons (something only the Targaryens had the power to do before).
(HBO-House of the Dragon-Official Teaser Trailer)
Obviously, the Velaryons were becoming just as powerful, if not more, than House Targaryen.
And, since Rhaenys’ children took their father’s surname, House Targaryen would effectively have been disinherited with Rhaeny’s death. Thus, Jaehaerys needed to secure Viserys Targaryen’s succession to save his family’s status and inheritance.
The only hole I can poke in this theory is that Jaehaerys himself was half-Velaryon (his mother was Alyssa Velaryon), and he has had close ties with the ruling Lord of the Tides (including Corlys) all throughout his reign. (Theory Grade: B+)
C) The Hightowers, High Septon, Maesters, and Prince Vaegon Targaryen used the senile Jaehaerys to call a council in order to steal the throne from the Velaryons for themselves with Viserys as king:
This is the theory I believe. It is almost comical to think that the Hightowers (of Oldtown), High Septon (of Oldtown), Maesters (of Oldtown), and Prince Vaegon Targeryen (of Oldtown) didn’t conspire with one another to convince Jaehaerys to hold this council.
It was Vaegon Targaryen, Jaeherys last surviving son and Archmaester of the Citadel, who met with Jaehaerys right before the council was announced to decide on the succession crisis. Hmm, coinvent, don’t you think?
He must have convinced his aging, ailing father (who was reportedly forgetting names, mistaking people for other people, etc. at the time) to host this great council that only the Citadel and Faith would preside and rule over.
And, with the maesters and septons the ones counting the ballots, who knows who really won. The only thing we know is that Viserys ‘won’, Ser Otto Hightower was named Hand of the King, Viserys eventually married Alicent Hightower, and Velaryons were all but shunned from court and power. (Theory Grade: A+)
(HBO-House of the Dragon-Official Teaser Trailer)
Anyway, I got a little off topic. Whether Jaehaerys was willfully conspiring against his granddaughter and the Velaryons, or was a tool of the Hightowers, Citadel, and the Faith, does not matter. He had the chance to name Rhaenys his rightful heir years before his health failed and this succession crisis began but didn’t.
And that is why he will be the worst Targaryen king to come out of HBO’s House of the Dragon. You’ll all agree with me come August 21st.
Images Source: Featured Image: (HBO) (Before the Dance: An Illustrated History with George R.R. Martin | House of the Dragon (HBO) – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (HBO) (House of the Dragon | Official Teaser Trailer | HBO Max – YouTube)
In Text Image 2: (HBO) (House of the Dragon | Official Teaser Trailer | HBO Max – YouTube)
In Text Image 3: (HBO) (House of the Dragon | Official Teaser Trailer | HBO Max – YouTube)
