14. The character of Cersei Lannister – wife to King Robert Baratheon, mother to Kings Joffrey and Tommen, and later ruling in her own name – was, at least in part, inspired by the alleged incest of Anne Boleyn during her marriage to King Henry VIII of England
The wife of King Robert Baratheon, Cersei Lannister became Queen of the Seven Kingdoms at the age of just nineteen after the last-minute alliance of her father, Tywin, with the rebels in the War of the Usurper. Outliving her husband, her three surviving children – Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen – were born of an incestuous and adulterous relationship with her twin brother, Ser Jaime. Living to see all three of her beloved children die, two by murder and one by suicide, Cersei herself claims the vacant Iron Throne. Although deviating from the historical narrative towards the conclusion of Cersei’s story, the “Mad Queen” is highly reminiscent of Anne Boleyn.
The second wife of King Henry VIII, the marriage between the pair marked the start of the English Reformation following Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Wed in 1533, despite pursuing her affections for many years, the couple’s relationship quickly soured. Crowned Queen of England, the birth of the future Elizabeth I in September 1533 greatly disappointed Henry who desired a son. Growing estranged, Henry began courting other women whilst Anne allegedly entered into an incestuous relationship with her brother George. Convicted of this charge, in spite of an absence of corroborating evidence, as well as for treason, Anne was beheaded in May 1536.