Carbon Costume

In House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra Targaryen (young Rhaenyra played by Milly Alock, older by Emma D’Arcy) is the first-born child of King Viserys I, who named her heir to the Iron Throne. After the king’s death, her claim is challenged by her half-brother Aegon II however, with the backing of his mother Alicent and grandfather Otto Hightower.

When you think of a queen, you likely think of poise and grace. You probably think of beauty and wisdom, too. Queen Ramonda of Wakanda embodies all of these traits as well as the strength and foresight to lead her people after both of her children are lost in Thanos’ snap. She is a natural queen played by Angela Bassett, a queen in her own right and star of numerous hit productions.

Mimicking Queen Ramonda’s royal bearing isn’t easy, but you can start with her look. The most iconic piece of her costume is the isicholo or Zulu hat that she wears. There are many tutorials on YouTube or you can purchase one from at Etsy seller, such as the one pictured above. She wears two different versions throughout the film, one in black and one in white. With her white isicholo hat she wears flat profile earrings, thumb rings, and the kimoyo beads that all Wakandans seem to wear.

Queen Ramonda also wears a white A-Line gown and a shoulder mantle. In the movie the mantle is 3-D printed. However the file linked here is for a laser-cut version.

Finally, the Queen’s shoes are not seen. Because of this, three options have been included. One is a pair of white dress sands, the second a pair of white lace heels, and the third a pair of white flats.

Catherine Howard (played by Tamzin Merchant) was the youngest of Henry VIII’s wives, marrying him and 17 and dying by his order between the ages of 18 and 19. The reason was adultery, though some argue that the charges were false. But even if they were true, it’s hard to blame the young queen for looking for love when her husband was 49 to her 17, a 32 year age gap.

Catherine’s story is one of tragedy and heartache, ending in her execution. It is the scene that sticks most with fans, closely followed by the way she danced both for the king and for herself. A specific request came in for her execution gown and that is what we focused on for this write up.

A simple white gown dyed black serves as the basis for the costume, one with a black slip underneath. A long black coat with attached goes over the top. And the costume would not be complete without a long blonde wig and a white cap.

Hippolyta wasn’t always a queen. Before the gods took pity on her forlorn soul she was a mortal cavewoman. Her mate murdered her and the gods plucked her soul from the Underworld to create the Queen of the Amazons. Her sister Amazons were women who also suffered violence at the hands of men, ultimately leading them to the secret and secluded island where they remained until their Princess Diana left to join the wider world to become Wonder Woman.

Hippolyta has had several different looks over the years but this one is closer to her classic comic appearance. Long dark hair worn loose around her shoulders, a gown of deep purple accented by a gold belt, gold sandals, silver bracers, and a small crown atop her head.

Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) doesn’t let the fact that she’s a woman stop her from vying for the throne in Game of Thrones. She manipulates the men around her and when they no longer serve useful or pose a threat, she has no problem disposing of them. She has a special love for her family, except for her younger brother Tyrion Lannister, who she is constantly plotting against.

In 300, Lena Headey makes an appearance as Queen Gorgo of the Spartans. I guess that was good practice for becoming queen of Westeros in Game of Thrones.

When she’s not chopping off heads or playing flamingo croquet, you’ll find the Queen of Hearts chasing after Alice. This bad tempered, tyrant might benefit from spending some time with her subjects – perhaps a spot of tea at a tea party?