‘House of the Dragon’: The Age of the 3 Young Women and the Actors Who Portray Them
HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, brings a brand new cast of characters for viewers to connect with, including several young women. The series is set 200 years before the events in Game of Thrones and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). However, some powerful women came before Daenerys. Find out the age of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Lady Laena Velaryon, and Alicent Hightower in the House of the Dragon.
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen’s age in ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 2
In House of the Dragon Episodes 1 and 2, Milly Alcock plays young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. She is the daughter and firstborn child of Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) and King Viserys (Paddy Considine). In the pilot episode, the King removes his brother, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), from the line of succession and instead chooses his daughter, Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne. Alcock is 22 during the show, but she portrays Rhaenyra at 14.
As House of the Dragon Season 1 continues, viewers will witness a ten-year time jump midway through the season, aging Princess Rhaenyra. As an adult, Emma D’Arcy portrays the princess at the age of 25. The actor is 30 when she represents older Rhaenyra.
Lady Laena Velaryon is 12 years old in ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 2
In House of the Dragon Episode 2, King Viserys considers marrying Lady Laena Velaryon. Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) believes it is in the best interest of the Iron Throne for the King to marry his younger daughter. The two powerful houses together would be a show of force to the rest of Westeros. However, when viewers meet Lady Laena Velaryon, she is only 12 years old. Nova Foueillis-Mose portrays the lady as a young child.
When King Viserys chooses to marry Lady Alicent Hightower instead of Lady Laena, Lord Corlys allies with Daemon Targaryen instead. As the series progresses, Savannah Steyn plays a slightly older Laena. Then Nanna Blondell portrays adult Laena, who becomes the second wife of Prince Daemon.
Lady Alicent Hightower is 14 years old in ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 2
The shock is evident on Princess Rhaenyra’s face when she hears that her father, King Viserys, plans to marry her best friend, Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey). In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Carey revealed that Alicent and Rhaenyra were both 14 years old when the King announced his marriage to Alicent.
Carey also revealed that she began filming when she was 17, and it was nerve-wracking wondering how she might form a bond with her older co-star. Carey is now 17, while Considine is 48.
“You think your best friend of 14 is going to be your best friend for the rest of your life,” Carey said of the relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra. “It does toe the line between platonic and romantic. But I also think, at 14, you don’t know what those words mean. You don’t know what the feelings mean. It’s just love. That’s all it is. Whether it’s friendship or more than that, I think it’s up to how you want to see it.”
As the series continues, after the 10-year time jump, Olivia Cooke portrays an older Alicent Hightower.
House of the Dragon airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
