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David Routt, Adjunct Professor of History, University of Richmond

HBO's 'House of the Dragon' was inspired by a real medieval dynastic struggle over a female ruler

Henry I Matilda HBO Henry II Henry V Stephen George R. R. Martin Westeros Wikimedia Commons
In Westeros, Rhaenyra finds herself in a power struggle akin to that of the real-life Empress Matilda, who lived from 1102 to 1167. HBO

In three decades of teaching medieval European history, I’ve noticed my students are especially curious about the intersection of the stories told in class and the depictions of the Middle Ages they see in movies and television.

Judged by their historical accuracy, cinematic portrayals are a mixed bag.

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