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Then again, it's possible that the Queen's reluctance had more to do with her own safety than her appreciation of tradition. The Iron Throne in the books is famous for being very sharp and uncomfortable, much to the chagrin of every ruler who's had to sit in it. Throughout "House of the Dragon" season 1, part of what accelerates King Viserys' health woes is the constant cuts he gets from the throne, some of which end up infected. Even the young, spry Joffrey Baratheon in the original show cuts himself a few times; if the Tyrells didn't kill him, I'm sure that throne would've gotten around to it eventually. Author George R. R. Martin wrote the Iron Throne as pointed for a few reasons. The most obvious one is that a throne made out of sharp swords looks cool. The second reason is that it makes for a fine metaphor for power; so many characters are willing to sacrifice everything for a shot at the throne, only to find themselves more miserable than ever when they finally get it. The third reason is that a pointy throne provides a great opportunity for foreshadowing. In "Fire & Blood," for instance, the first sign that Queen Rhaenyra's reign is doomed is when she cuts herself mere seconds after first sitting on the throne. It's a bad omen, one interpreted by some of the characters as a sign that she's not fit to rule. The set version of the Iron Throne is, of course, far safer than the one in the books, but it's still not comfortable to sit in. Queen Elizabeth likely took one look at it and decided that, as cool as the chair may look, sitting on it just wasn't worth the back pain.
