House of the Dragon season 3 episode 1 has a brilliant Easter egg you probably missed

House of the Dragon has never shied away from showing how tough it is to be a woman in Westeros — even when you’re a queen like Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy). Despite having plenty of followers willing to die in fire and blood for their leader, her Black Council still isn’t all that eager to let Rhaenyra actually make her own decisions.

In fact, Rhaenyra’s frustration with her meddling posse has got to the point where she quotes a legendary real-life monarch in House of the Dragon season three’s premiere episode, Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood.

Major spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 1, ‘Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood.’

Last season ended with Rhaenyra being propositioned by her ex-best friend Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) to storm and take King’s Landing from Alicent's sons, the bedridden Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and the destructive Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). Driven by her old friendship and faith in Alicent, Rhaenyra plans to do just that — only several of Rhaenyra’s council and allies are understandably skepticalabout trusting the Green Queen.

This skepticism grows when the pirates and outlaws of the Triarchy, allied with the Greens, appear to take on her ally Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and break his naval blockade of King's Landing. Eager to see battle, Rhaenyra plans to fly in on her dragon, Syrax. However, her son, Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), is so opposed to this move that he commands Rhaenyra’s Queensguard protector, Ser Lorent (Max Wrottesley), to bar her door to keep her from leaving.

Rhaenyra’s council and allies undermining her isn’t anything new — she and Alicent Hightower have both had trouble with this since House of the Dragon’s first season. But now that the two factions are at war, the disparity between Rhaenyra’s and Alicent’s desires and the war-hungry men they surround themselves with has reached a fever pitch.

Frustrated at her council, Rhaenyra breaks down inside her quarters, taking a knife to her dragon-riding leathers. As she cries, she bitterly laments,“I may appear to have the weak and feeble body of a woman, but I possess the heart and spirit of a king.”

It's a powerful quote, and one that is immediately recognizable to anyone who spent half of their life being sickeningly fascinated by the Tudors like I was.

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House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on HBO. Episode 1 is streaming now on HBO Max.