Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Olenna Tyrell

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Created by
  
George R. R. Martin

Gender
  
Female

Aliases
  
The Queen of Thorns

Title
  
Lady of Highgarden

First appearance
  
Novel: A Storm of Swords (2000) Television: "Dark Wings, Dark Words" (2013)

Portrayed by
  
Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones)

Olenna Tyrell (née Redwyne), also known as "The Queen of Thorns", is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and is portrayed by Diana Rigg in its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. Olenna is first mentioned in A Game of Thrones (1996) and first appears in A Storm of Swords (2000).

Contents

Olenna's role is the same in the show as in the books. In the season six finale, after losing her family in the wildfire explosion of the Sept caused by Cersei Lannister, Olenna aligned herself with Dorne and Daenerys Targaryen out of revenge.

Diana Rigg has received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performances in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Character profile

Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thorns, is a former Redwyne and the mother of Mace Tyrell. She is described as a wizened and cunning old woman with a wicked wit and a sharp tongue, and is known for openly stating her opinion.

Overview

Olenna is not a point of view character in the novels, so her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Sansa Stark and Cersei Lannister. Olenna is mostly a background character in the novels.

In the books

In A Storm of Swords, she plots to have Sansa taken to Highgarden to marry her grandson Willas. This plan is foiled by the Lannisters, who force Sansa to marry Tyrion Lannister. It is revealed by Littlefinger later in A Storm of Swords that, in order to shield Margaery from King Joffrey's cruelty, Olenna had actually been the one who murdered Joffrey at his wedding. Margaery would later go on to marry the younger brother, Tommen Baratheon.

In A Dance with Dragons (2011), Her granddaughter Margaery is released from prison and placed under house arrest, where she awaits trial.

In the show

Lady Olenna, better known as "The Queen of Thorns", is the sharp-witted grandmother of Loras and Margaery. In the adaptation Olenna is a matriarch and the real power behind House Tyrell. She has very progressive views where she feels women should be more involved in politics and is accepting of Loras' homosexuality where the people of Reach have no problems with it.

Season 3

After learning the abuses Sansa suffered by Joffrey, Olenna figured out that Margaery could avoid the same fate by using Joffrey's love of violence. Because she is fond of Sansa, and to prevent the other nobles from using Sansa as heir of the North, Olenna secretly plots to have Sansa marry Loras. But her plan is foiled by Loras himself, who accidentally reveals it to Littlefinger's spy. Tywin Lannister gets wind of the plot and stops it by having Sansa marry his son Tyrion and, to secure the Reach, orders his daughter Cersei to marry Loras. Lady Olenna is at first against Loras marrying Cersei because Cersei is too old and because of the scandal of her incestuous affair with her twin brother Jaime. But after Tywin threatens to make Loras join the celibate Kingsguard, which would make Joffrey and Margaery's children the heirs of Reach, Olenna admits defeat and praises Tywin for getting the best of her.

Season 4

Olenna conspires with Petyr Baelish to have Joffrey poisoned, so as to protect Margaery from Joffrey's beastly nature, and advises Margaery to become acquainted with her new match, Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's younger brother and heir, before Cersei turns him against her. She returns to Highgarden shortly afterwards.

Season 5

When Loras is arrested by the recently reinstated Faith Militant for his homosexuality, Margaery writes to her grandmother who returns to the capital in order to protect her grandchildren from Cersei's schemes. But, mistakenly believing Loras's arrest was simply meant to humiliate House Tyrell, she helplessly assists to Olyvar's testimony which incriminates her grandson, as well as to Margaery's incarceration for perjuring herself in front of the gods in an effort to protect her brother. She later confronts the High Sparrow without results and has a secret meeting with Littlefinger who, blackmailed by Olenna for his part in Joffrey's death and in order to placate his role in her grandchildren's imprisonment in providing Olyvar to Cersei, gives valuable information about Lancel and Cersei's adulterous relationship. This results in the latter's arrest by the Faith Militant.

Season 6

Olenna takes steps to free Margaery from the High Sparrow and retake power from the Faith Militant, but the plan is thwarted when Tommen forges an alliance with the Faith and becomes the High Sparrow's new puppet. Margaery feigns loyalty and manages to instruct Olenna to leave the city when the High Sparrow threatens her life.

Cersei's plotting ultimately causes the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, killing Margaery, Loras, Mace, and the High Sparrow. A grieving Olenna is invited to Dorne to meet with Ellaria Sand, who has seized control of the region and declared open rebellion against the Lannisters. In Dorne Ellaria presents Varys, who persuades Olenna to support Daenerys Targaryen, having been a secret Targaryen loyalist all along. Olenna sends the Tyrell fleet to Meereen to assist in taking Daenerys' forces to Westeros.

TV adaptation

Olenna is played by the British actress Dame Diana Rigg in the television adaption of the series of books.

Remarking on the series and the character:

I wasn't aware I was getting involved in something so huge. I really had no idea. She is also pretty evil, I'm good at evil.

Recognition and awards

Diana Rigg has received positive reviews for her role as Olenna Tyrell in the TV series.

References

Olenna Tyrell Wikipedia