I think what appeals is the sense that certain members of society are fundamentally designed to be more important/special than others. My theory is that a large proportion of the population secretly craves or even believes this.
I have never wanted to watch it just as I never wanted to watch Breaking Bad but my good lady wife persisted and I watched it over about a month. What a load of shite.
It's shite TV. Period.
I'm not even talking about content, but just the structure. Boring boring boring > gratuitous violence/rampant sex/mix of the two/something sudden and shocking > end episode in cliff hanger. Rinse, Repeat.
Game Of Thrones.
It's like a rapey Harry Potter with even more plot holes.
In general, I don't get fantasy or adults that like fantasy either.