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House of the Dragon's historical advisor reveals who should sit on the Iron Throne
Dr Charles Farris's expertise informed elements of the show from how a siege would be planned to the textures of the curtains.
Sky/HBO
- Alice Lambert
Published: Thursday, 6 August 2026 at 7:00 am
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House of the Dragon’s return for a third instalment was hotly anticipated, with a two-year wait since the show last debuted on screens back in 2024. With tensions reaching boiling point in Westeros's civil war, bloody battles have commenced as the Targaryens fight for power.
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While the Game of Thrones prequel is beloved for its epic storylines and standout cast, part of the show's enormous success comes down to the intricate world-building. From sprawling castles to complicated family lineages and gruesome battle scenes, Westeros feels like a place recorded down in historical texts… partly, because it is.
With the original book, Fire & Blood, taking inspiration from the medieval period, the House of the Dragon directors were keen to introduce a large amount of historical accuracy to the fantasy show, creating a world that closely reflects the life of real medieval rulers and citizens – well, apart from the dragons! Entrusted to help incorporate these historical elements was Dr Charles Farris, a historian specialising in the medieval period, whose expertise informed elements of the show, from how a siege would be planned to the textures of the curtains.
Ahead of the season finale, he talks us through how real-life medieval influences were woven into the show, from how battles were planned to why dragons may not be quite as fantastical as we believe… plus his verdict on who should actually rule on the Iron Throne.
From student to teacher
I started my career with a degree in history. My passion was the medieval period, so I went on to do a master’s in the topic and then a PhD. After many years of studying, I taught at universities and worked as a postdoctoral researcher on a variety of different historical periods for universities, charities and heritage organisations.
As my career developed, I found myself working mainly in public engagement and that led me towards consulting on television and film, and eventually to House of the Dragon. George R R Martin was a great student of history and the medieval world is woven into his book Fire & Blood, which was adapted into House of the Dragon, so the directors were very keen to speak to a historian.
Somebody I had worked with before on the production team recommended me for the position.
Dr Charles Farris.
Women in power
House of the Dragon is effectively a succession crisis, based on a period of history called The Anarchy. It begins with a king whose son dies and he has no legitimate male heirs. The king rather radically invites his daughter, Empress Matilda, to rule after his death, but it becomes a complicated situation of who will take the title. One of the main themes of The Anarchy is the role of women and queens in society and House of the Dragon really delves into this.
There’s been some changes of thought by historians of the past 40 years in the way we think about the medieval period. The idea of women ruling used to be rather unusual, as if these women were exceptional and going against society to carve out a world for themselves. Today, historians believe it was actually very common for noble women to be incredibly powerful, acting as regents and effectively ruling in their own right while their husbands were away, so this really helps to inform the roles of the women in the show.
One of the things I’m most excited about for this latest season is the development of the female characters, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke). The show blends the difficulties of ruling and maintaining power in the medieval period while also dealing with the very human emotions of trying to care for your family and protect your future. The complexities of these situations are told so well on screen, which is also down to the amazing writers on the show.
Alicent and Helaena remain prisoners of Queen Rhaenyra. HBO
Medieval emergency
My role is to field any and all questions the directors have about the medieval period. We sit down for lengthy discussions in person or online, and I’m occasionally sent bits of script to read too. I get last-minute phone calls to discuss queries during filming. The questions are always so specific: Could someone have behaved in this way in conversation? Would they be carrying this item on them at this time of day? I don’t speak to the actors directly, but that’s probably just as well – I’d have been even more starstruck!
I advise on the environments scenes are set in – anything from how plush a medieval royal bedchamber is to what a battle or a siege would feel like; how a room would smell or what textures curtains would have. It makes House of the Dragon a very rich visual experience because so much care and detail has been put into the background to build this medieval world. The dragons are a bit of a curveball, of course! However, as far as we know, they are part of the folklore of the medieval period.
James Norton as Lord Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon. HBO
One for the history books
I sent the directors many materials and visual references that would help inform the show, including manuscript images, wall paintings, stained glass – the kinds of sources medieval historians work with. There were also two particular texts we used as inspiration. One was De Re Militari, an ancient Roman text on warfare that rulers would have translated to use in their battle plans. It details how to prepare and organise armies for battle.
The other was Description of London by William Fitzstephen, a clerk of Thomas Becket. He wrote this amazing account of medieval London. It details the structure of the city and its buildings, but also what people did for entertainment and dining and how they would interact with each other. If you came to London today, you might find the material strangely similar!
Copy of William Fitzstephen's description of London, 14th century. Museum of London/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Fantasy forged in history
What really impressed me about House of the Dragon was how keen the directors were to immerse themselves in the medieval world. It’s a period of history that can feel quite familiar – we’ve all heard of castles, tournaments, battles – but they were very keen to understand the period in great depth, rather than just leaning on familiar medieval tropes.
We had some really amazing discussions about tournaments, for example. They were very chaotic around the 12th and 13th century, essentially just battles where everyone tried not to kill each other. Although weapons were blunted, many people were still injured and kings were heavily discouraged from getting involved. Where a lot of films in the past have leaned on quite formulaic versions of tournaments, the directors really wanted to highlight its dangers.
One of the joys of working on House of the Dragon is that it’s a fantasy show. It’s very much inspired by the medieval world, but at the same time, I didn’t need to worry about specifics, like if a helmet or outfit is particular to that time of history. I think that’s what makes it so enjoyable for any viewers who are interested in history – you can recognise the medieval influences and appreciate the attention to detail without getting caught up in the historical accuracy.
Preparing for battle
I advised a lot on the lead-up and siege of Rook’s Rest in season two. It wasn’t just about the battle, but also the preamble to the action. What would people be doing in the build-up to a siege? What can we get the actors doing? How could they prepare the ground? What were their priorities?
We also discussed at length the social disparity in medieval battles. Your chance of survival was very much linked to who you were, with lords and knights given the best training, weapons and armour, whereas the poorer citizens were very likely to die or be captured.
Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen in House of the Dragon. HBO
The weight of the crown
What House of the Dragon brilliantly communicates is the reality of ruling in the medieval period – it was a very difficult job! It’s almost impossible for anyone to embody all of the values and expectations expected of a medieval monarch, and it's a role full of paradoxes.
On the one hand, you must be a fierce warrior able to lead on the battlefield, but on the other, you should be peace-loving and provide stability to your people. You have to be generous to your supporters, but you don’t want to give away too much because it could undermine your position. You should support the church and the poor, but be ruthless with your enemies.
Not one character makes the ideal monarch. I think to lead successfully on the Iron Throne, it would require a combination. Take Daemon’s (Matt Smith) terrifying warrior skills, Viserys's (Paddy Considine) considered, academic outlook, Alicent’s political savviness, and Rhaenyra’s ruthless protection of her family and bring all those qualities together – then you’d just about have the ultimate medieval ruler.
House of the Dragon season 3 airs on HBO Max, NOW, and Sky Atlantic in the UK. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on HBO Max, Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.
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Authors
Alice Lambert
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