Margaery Tyrell
| House / Order | House Tyrell |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Westerosi (of the Reach) |
| Status | Alive (as of A Dance with Dragons; imprisoned by the Faith) |
| Origin | The Reach; King's Landing |
| Born | c. 283 AC, Highgarden |
| Died | |
| Weapon | |
| Fate | Married thrice to claimants and kings; imprisoned by the Faith Militant on charges of adultery engineered by Cersei |
| Portrayed by | Natalie Dormer |
Margaery Tyrell is the only daughter of Lord Mace Tyrell of Highgarden and granddaughter of the formidable Olenna Tyrell. Beautiful, gracious, and politically astute, she is married in turn to a series of kings and claimants as House Tyrell maneuvers its way to the heart of power in Westeros. Unlike many central figures, Margaery is not a viewpoint character; she is seen through the eyes of others, chiefly the suspicious Cersei.
Margaery's charm and her skillful courting of the smallfolk's love make her a quiet but potent player, and the chief target of Cersei's paranoia.
Background
Margaery was raised at Highgarden, the seat of the wealthy and powerful House Tyrell, the lords of the fertile Reach. Schooled in courtesy and the arts of a great lady, she came of age under the sharp tutelage of her grandmother, the "Queen of Thorns" Olenna. Ambition for the throne ran in the family, and Margaery's marriages became the instrument of Tyrell power.
Biography
A Clash of Kings
Margaery is wed to Renly Baratheon when House Tyrell backs his claim to the Iron Throne, the marriage sealing a vast alliance and a great host. The union is unconsummated, and she becomes a widow when Renly is murdered by a shadow before he can press his claim. Her family swiftly seeks a new royal match.
A Storm of Swords
The Tyrells abandon the dead Renly's cause and ally with House Lannister. Margaery is betrothed to King Joffrey, a far crueler husband-to-be, and weds him at a lavish ceremony, only for Joffrey to be poisoned at the wedding feast (the Purple Wedding). Widowed again before consummation, Margaery is quickly betrothed to Joffrey's gentle younger brother, the new boy-king Tommen Baratheon.
A Feast for Crows
Now queen and married to the child-king Tommen, Margaery cultivates Tommen's affection and the love of the people of King's Landing, distributing charity and winning popularity that the Queen Regent Cersei cannot match. Convinced by prophecy that Margaery is the "younger, more beautiful queen" fated to cast her down, Cersei schemes against her. Cersei suborns false witnesses and uses the restored Faith Militant to have Margaery arrested on charges of adultery and fornication. Margaery awaits trial by the Faith, even as her family musters its strength to free her.
Character
Margaery is clever, poised, and generous, with a politician's instinct for winning hearts. She understands that the love of the smallfolk is a kind of power, and she wields kindness and charm as deftly as others wield armies. Whether her sweetness conceals deeper calculation is left ambiguous; what is clear is that she is a far more capable player than the husbands she is married to, and a worthy rival to Cersei.
Relationships
Margaery is closely guided by her grandmother Olenna, the true strategist of the family. Her marriages to Renly, Joffrey, and Tommen are political instruments. Her chief antagonist is Cersei, whose jealousy and fear ultimately drive Margaery's imprisonment.
Quotes
I want to be the queen.
Not Renly. Tommen. (on whom she would wed)
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Margaery was portrayed by Natalie Dormer, in a notably expanded and more overtly cunning role. Her arc follows the broad shape of the novels through her marriages and arrest by the Faith, then ends beyond them: she dies when Cersei destroys the Great Sept of Baelor with wildfire. This event has not occurred in the books, where Margaery awaits trial.