After several seasons of various people vying for the Iron Throne based on the claim of proper succession, some fans were confused as to why Cersei was able to take the throne without any objection from the people or the lords and ladies of Westeros. According to the established rules of the line of succession, Cersei does not appear to have a legitimate reason to sit on the throne.Â
Succession is extremely in the world of “Game of Thrones,” as it serves as the main driver for Daenerys’s mission to rule, as her house ruled for centuries before being usurped by Robert Baratheon, and she believed it was her birthright. Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) also laid claim to the throne based on succession, claiming (correctly) that his brother Robert’s children were actually the bastard products of incest from Cersei and her brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Of course, Robert Baratheon did create a precedent that usurping the throne through force was a valid path to ruling Westeros.Â
Another possible explanation for this sudden ignorance towards the rules of succession is that the people most likely to protest Cersei’s ascent to power — the Faith and the Tyrell house — were just blown up by Cersei earlier in the episode. The people of King’s Landing surely would also protest this new ruler, as they clearly hated Cersei enough to abuse and humiliate her on her “walk of shame,” but that same explosion of the Sept of Baelor probably struck enough fear in her subjects to allow Cersei to do as she pleases.
