For those who have read the books and played Thronebreaker, you are likely very familiar with Queen Meve, who has become a beloved character in the fandom. In the series, she is also renowned for her beauty and intellect.
She is the fierce monarch of Lyria and Rivia, as well as the and leader of multiple armies. She has won many battles with her keen ability to strategize. The following list details some surprising facts you might not know about her character.
10 She Is The Protagonist Of Her Own Game In The Witcher Franchise
Some people might not be aware that Queen Meve is the protagonist of an entire game called Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales. It is a roleplaying strategy game and a spin-off from the Gwent: The Witcher Card Game and available to purchase on consoles, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
While Meve is not part of the main Witcher games aside from a few mentions, she is a critical book character. It's not yet clear if she will eventually make an appearance on the Netflix television show.
9 There Was A Rumor That Meve Had An Incestual Relationship With Calanthe
Calanthe and Meve are distant cousins in the franchise. Calanthe struggled to find a husband. Eventually, she got into a marriage of convenience.
Because of this, rumors spread that she and Meve were having an incestuous affair thanks to the Dynastic entries written by author Andrzej Sapkowski. However, the "rumors" were never proven and seem to be untrue.
8 Her Late Husband Was Reportedly Stupid
Queen Meve does not have a husband in the books or in Thronebreaker. Her former husband, Reginald, the king of Rivia, was reportedly rather stupid. He died in 1259, leaving Meve the sole ruler of both Lyria and Rivia.
They had two sons, and it is believed that both of his sons inherited Reginald's infamous stupidity. He was dumb enough that at least one character thought it would be impossible for him to get stupider. Not only was he dumb, but he was also a womanizer and had many affairs during his marriage with Meve.
7 She Had No Military Training
Some people might be shocked to learn that Meve never had any military training. She was left in charge of Rivia until her sons came of age because the council assumed she would be easy to control. It turned out that Meve was a naturally gifted ruler.
She directed her army to countless victories without ever having any formal skill set. She would publicly execute anyone that defied her, and eventually, all of her enemies surrendered to her.
6 She Sought To Protect Ciri From The Council Of Kings
At the time of the second war against Nilfgaard, Meve became part of a council of rulers with King Vizimir II, King Henselt, King Foltest, and King Demavend to decide how to proceed. During one meeting, they got together to discuss the future of Cintra, which inevitably led to a discussion about Ciri.
The other kings believed that the Nilfgaardian emperor, Emhyr, would marry Ciri to become the ruler of Cintra. Yes, that would be incest, and Emyhr has alluded to incest more than once. It's rather twisted. Regardless, the monarchs felt that the only solution was to kill Ciri, and Meve was firmly against that course of action.
5 Queen Meve Managed To Defeat An Ancient Monster That Even A Witcher Couldn't Kill
Gernichora was a nasty piece of work that lived in Ysgith and terrorized the locals. A witcher named Ivo of Belhaven was hired to rid the swamp of Gernichora, but was unable to, and almost died in the fight.
He was lucky to walk away with nothing but a wound. Meve managed to defeat the creature, because otherwise the beast would be an obstacle for Meve and her army. It is impressive that she managed to kill a monster that proved too difficult for a fully-trained witcher.
4 She Officially Knighted Geralt As Geralt Of Rivia
If you haven't read the books, you might be unaware that Geralt is a knight -- and he's not even from Rivia. That said, Geralt started going by "Geralt of Rivia" because he was told his name would carry more status and meaning if it sounded like he came from a notable place.
But then it wound up working out in his favor when Queen Meve knighted the witcher and officially dubbed him Geralt of Rivia as a favor after Geralt helped Meve out and rescued her from a Nilfgaardian army.
3 Meve's Son, Villem, Committed Treason Against Her
Villem became involved in a coup against his mother, so he could usurp the crown and become the new king. In Thronebreaker, you'll be given a choice whether or not to forgive Villem for his treasonous act if you want.
If you decide to have Meve not forgive Villem, then she will sentence him to a dungeon for the rest of his days until he dies. Villem's initial plan is to end the war and form an alliance with his mother, but only if he can remain heir to the throne over his brother. You can accept the agreement, not take it, or choose to arrest Villem.
2 Her Sons Never Amounted To Much Of Anything
As we've mentioned above, the father of Villem and Anśeis and Meve's former husband, was very dimwitted. It was believed that Meve's sons had inherited that unfortunate trait from their father and evidenced in their actions.
Villem committed treason against his mother, and Anśeis went off to Toussaint to stir up trouble. You can meet Anśeis in the Blood and Wine expansion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt where he competes in the International Knights Tourney.
1 Meve's Alias Was The White Queen
Meve's main alias as "The White Queen," because of her incredible hair color. She was renowned for having hair very light, almost white.
An important thing to know about her reputation in Thronebreaker is that she was greatly respected and revered: "In the empire, her name was uttered with the utmost respect. Returning soldiers spoke in awed tones of her courage and generosity, referring to her as Gvaedin - the tenacious one."