The Crazy Reason Queen Elizabeth Couldn't Sit on the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones

Because you know she wanted to.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

An obscure rule prevented what could have been the greatest photo-op of all time: Queen Elizabeth holding court on the Iron Throne. On Late Night With Seth Meyers last night, Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss talked about the royal visit to their set in Northern Ireland. The Queen and Prince Philip met with them last summer, along with cast members Lena Headey, Kit Harrington, Maisie Williams, and Sophie Turner. Her Royal Highness got a close look at the badass Iron Throne, but she didn't sit in it.

And there's a good reason for that. "Apparently the Queen of England is not allowed to sit on a foreign throne," explained Benioff. "This is an esoteric rule we didn't know about until that moment." It's a fictional throne, sure, but apparently the rule still applies.

It was probably for the best, because that moment would have launched millions of memes, and people wouldn't stop calling her Khaleesi. But we all can dream—or just use Photoshop.

[H/T: The Daily Beast

Megan Friedman
Editor

Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.