Jacaerys, Rhaenyra's eldest son, and his two younger brothers have spent their short lives surrounded by whispers that their real father was Ser Harwin Strong.
It is quickly confirmed that Alicent is right, however. Rhaenyra's sons are bastards. They're the illegitimate children of Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). The issue of the children's legitimacy is an open secret at court, with people turning a blind eye because the king does.
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon Episode 6! “The Princess and the Queen” opens up with Rhaenyra giving birth to her third child, another boy. Laenor decides they'll name him Joffrey after his late lover who Criston beat to death right before he and Rhaenyra wed.
Daemon and Rhaenyra share two children together: Aegon III and Viserys II.
So, who is the real father of Rhaenyra's children? In the show and in George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood novel, it is heavily implied that Ser Harwin Strong, a knight and the captain of the City's Watch, is the true father of Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey.
Fatally attacked, Arrax fell into the sea, with Luce meeting the same fate. Their bodies were only found three days later, serving as a feast for crabs and seabirds. It is the news of her son's death that determines the desire for revenge and extermination of the Hightowers for Rhaenyra.
In 117 AC, Rhaenyra gave birth to her third son, whom Laenor named Joffrey, in honor of Ser Joffrey Lonmouth.
Jacaerys Velaryon Is Rhaenyra's Firstborn Son and Heir
Firstborn son of Rhaenyra and her first husband Laenor Velaryon, Jacaerys was affectionately known to his family as Jace.
It isn't explicitly stated in the show, but because we learn after episode six that all three boys have dark brown hair — and despite Rhaenyra and Laenor's matching blond color — it has been strongly implied that they are actually the children of Ser Harwin Strong, the Lord Commander of the City Watch.
Rhaenyra's children are bastards, and Vaemond finally let everyone know in Episode 8, as loudly as he possibly could. For that, he lost his head, though Daemon let him keep his tongue. Obviously, the true parentage of Rhaenyra's children is a big deal.
Nonetheless, Rhaenyra and Daemon's youngest son becomes King Viserys II Targaryen, with the crown passing through his line. New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO/HBO Max.
9 Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen Is Jon Snow's Seventh Great-Grandmother. Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is one of the most important characters in House of the Dragon. After her uncle Daemon was banished from King's Landing, Rhaenyra was named heir to the Iron Throne by her father.
Laenor and Rhaenyra had three sons together: Princes Jacaerys 'Jace', Lucerys 'Luke', and Joffrey 'Joff' Velaryon. It was rumored that those sons of Rhaenyra's were actually fathered by her lover, Harwin Strong, called "Breakbones".
Although Rhaenyra's mother's death initially made her fear the notion of bearing heirs, adult Rhaenyra Targaryen now has five sons in House of the Dragon – three healthy boys with Laenor Velaryon (fathered by Harwin Strong) and two silver-haired boys with her husband Daemon Targaryen.
With him, she found a love so deep it filled the void in her heart, not to mention her womb. In 196 AC, the year of their marriage, she painstakingly produced a set of twins, Aegon and Aella.
When finally did give birth to the baby, it is said that the child had a hole where her heart should have been, a tail, and scales for skin—a monster, as her mother had cursed her to be. Upon her death, Rhaenyra swore yet another vow. “She was my only daughter, and they killed her.
Ser Laenor and Princess Rhaenyra had three sons, Jacaerys Velaryon, Lucerys Velaryon and Joffrey Velaryon. Although due to the traits of these three, and Laenor spending very little time with Princess Rhaenyra, it was clear that Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey were not his children.
The two have been dancing around each other since the beginning of the series engaging in a will-they-won't-they dynamic, Episode 7 "Driftmark" not only saw the two of them consummate their love but also faking the death of Rhaenyra's husband Laenor (John Macmillan) together in order to marry each other on Dragonstone.
One of the first times we see Rhaenyra as truly angry throughout the entirety of Season 1 is during the traumatic miscarriage of her daughter Visenya.
She later married Ser Laenor Velaryon and gave birth to three sons; Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey Velaryon, although many believed they were instead bastards of Rhaenyra's lover, Ser Harwin Strong.
In a poetic end to the deadly war, Rhaenyra's son with Daemon became King Aegon III. He was also wed to his cousin, Aegon II's daughter Jaehaera.
King Aerys II Targaryen ("The Mad King")
Aerys II is a direct descendant of King Viserys I Targaryen through his daughter Rhaenyra.
On his deathbed, Viserys dreamt of one of his heirs wearing the Conqueror's Crown—the crown that once belonged to Aegon. By naming her first born son Aegon, it shows that Rhaenyra intends to fight to fulfill the prophecy in the same way that her father did.
Technically, Rhaenyra is Daenerys's sixth great grandmother and Jon's seventh great grandmother. That also makes Daenerys and Jon the direct descendants of Daemon, Rhaenyra's uncle/second husband.