Who is Prince Jacaerys Velaryon in House of the Dragon and who plays him?

We've already met him as a youngster in the series, but he will soon become very important in the Game of Thrones spin-off.

So without further ado, read on for your guide to the young prince, and what he has to do with the action in House of the Dragon.

Who is Prince Jacaerys Velaryon in House of the Dragon?

Prince Jacaerys Velaryon is the first-born son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Laenor Velaryon. His father initially wanted to honour his former lover and call him "Joffrey" but was overruled, and he was instead given an honourable Velaryon name. He is nicknamed Jace.

There has been some debate about who Jacaerys' real father is, with many believing Rhaenyra's children were instead fathered by Ser Harwin Strong on account of their appearance.

Nevertheless, he was gifted a dragon egg upon birth which hatched, confirming his blood was noble enough to be a dragon rider (at least in the eyes of those who doubted him). His dragon is Vermax.

Though Jace is technically the heir to the Iron Throne, he faces fierce rivalry from Queen Alicent's (Olivia Cooke) children, Aegon and Aemond. It's safe to say the two sets of siblings really didn't get along.

Tensions ran high following the death of Lady Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) when Prince Aemond decided to take the late woman's dragon, Vhagar. Rhaenyra's boys confronted Aemond, who taunted the family about their real father and a fight broke out, resulting in Lucerys slicing his nephew's face, damaging all use of his eye.

A furious King Viserys (Paddy Considine) declared any further discussion about Rhaenyra's children's father would result in dire punishment.

As a scuffle broke out between Alicent and Rhaenyra, it's safe to say battle lines have well and truly been drawn between them...

Who plays Prince Jacaerys Velaryon in House of the Dragon?

Two actors portray Prince Jacaerys Velaryon in the first season of House of the Dragon.

Leo Hart

Leo Hart plays young Prince Jacaerys Velaryon in House of the Dragon. It's really his first acting role, but you may have caught him elsewhere.

If you played the 2020 video game Sackboy: A Big Adventure, you may recognise his voice as the eponymous character.

And he also starred in the 2018 short film Hopscotch.

Harry Collett

Harry Collett stars in House of the Dragon as Prince Jacaerys Velaryon from episode 8 onwards.

You will have also seen Collett in Casualty, where he played the recurring character Ollie Hide between 2014 and 2022.

Collett has also starred in the likes of Dolittle, Dunkirk, The Hive and Galavant.

Read more:

• How to watch House of the Dragon – where can you stream?
• House of the Dragon planned to last three or four seasons
• Meet the cast of House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series
• When is House of the Dragon set? Game of Thrones timeline explained
• What time is House of the Dragon released in the UK?
• What is the Dance of the Dragons? House of the Dragon war explained
• Where was House of the Dragon filmed?
• What is Dark Sister in House of the Dragon?
• What book is House of the Dragon based on? Fire and Blood book changes
• Your guide to the dragons of House of the Dragon
• What is Old Valyria, the Doom and High Valyrian in House of the Dragon?
• Game of Thrones books in order: A Song of Ice and Fire and more

House of the Dragon airs on Sky Atlantic and is available on NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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