Here's Why Queen Elizabeth Didn't Park Her Butt on the Iron Throne

During last summer’s trip to Northern Ireland, Queen Elizabeth paid a visit to the Game of Thrones set. But, much to the dismay of fans of Royals Doing Things photography, she declined to sit on the Iron Throne of Westeros for a quick pic. Turns out she wasn’t just toying with our emotions—it’s all about protocol.

Co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss recently appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers (via The Daily Beast) and explained what happened:

“No, she’s not allowed to,” explained Benioff on Wednesday’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. “Apparently, the Queen of England is not allowed to sit on a foreign throne, so this is an esoteric rule we didn’t know about until that moment. It looks like we’re saying, ‘Don’t touch, Queen.'”

What, or she’ll lose her magical powers? Just kidding! Obviously Prince Charles would dash in and declare himself king, no backsies.