House of the Dragon's funeral scene was inspired by one of the best films of all time

Jaehaerys’ death in House of the Dragon leads to a haunting funeral scene, which is actually inspired by one of the greatest films ever made.

The fallout from Blood and Cheese’s horrific (if not controversial) assassination in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1 is tragic. King Aegon destroys the Red Keep, Helaena is shocked, and Otto Hightower tries to use the situation to his advantage.

As a result, Alicent and Helaena become the reluctant stars of Jaehaerys’ funeral march. It’s a horrible sight, and the atmosphere of the moment is all the more heartbreaking considering that the inspiration comes from one of the most beloved films of all time: The Godfather.

In a behind-the-scenes featurette after the episode, Clare Kilner – co-executive producer and director of episode 2 – revealed all. “I watched The Godfather and all these great movies that have incredible funeral scenes,” she said.

The Godfather scene in question is that of Vito Corleone’s funeral. Indeed, the two on-screen funerals have undeniable similarities. Both are aimed at powerful characters in their respective worlds (the heir to the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon and the patriarch of the mafia family in The Godfather).

They also take place outside, with the deceased’s close family observing the habits of the mourners.

There is also a sense of tactical planning in both cases. In the House of the Dragon, the procession is for show; a plot to turn the little people against Rhaenyra. In The Godfather, this is when Michael gets wind of Tessio’s betrayal.

But it wasn’t just other fictional scenes that motivated this moment. Kilner also took inspiration from reality, namely Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

“It also made me think a lot about Princess Di’s funeral and how slow the procession was,” she added. “It made me think of Alicent and Helaena being forced to feed the audience in their grief.”

Famously, Princes William and Harry were forced to walk next to Diana’s coffin in front of a distraught crowd at her funeral. As Kilner pointed out, this is essentially what Alicent and Helaena are experiencing, serving as bait in the midst of a campaign of hatred and revenge.

For more, check out our House of the Dragon season 2 review. We also have a list of all the best new TV shows to stream this month. Or check out our guides to all the Targaryen kings and dragons of the House of Dragons.