Game of Thrones: How, When, and Why Each 1 of Cersei's Children Died

From the beginning, it's clear that Cersei's oldest son, Prince Joffrey, is a real piece of work. He only gets worse after his "father" Robert dies and he becomes a boy king, with a knack for cruelty and a psychotic delight in violence. At first, he continues on with his engagement to Sansa Stark — though he abuses her and delights in telling her about the deaths of members of her family — but eventually, he is manipulated into breaking their engagement to marry Margaery Tyrell instead.

At their wedding reception, all seems well — until Joffrey takes a sip of wine. Almost immediately, he begins choking, and dies (rather gruesomely) in his mother's arms. Later, Olenna Tyrell reveals that it was she who poisoned Joffrey's wine, to save her granddaughter Margaery from his cruelty.

Early on, we learn that Myrcella is being sent abroad to the southern semi-independent Dorne, where she is betrothed to Prince Trystane Martell in an attempt to ally their houses. When we meet up with Myrcella as a young woman, she's actually happy: she likes her life in Dorne, and she and Trystane have genuinely fallen in love with each other and are looking forward to their marriage.

Because of the fallout from the death of Oberyn Martell, Myrcella is in danger from the Martells' bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes, and her uncle/father Jaime arrives to bring her back to King's Landing for safety. Despite apparently negotiating her safety, Ellaria Sand (Oberyn's longtime love) poisons Myrcella with a kiss goodbye. Myrcella tells Jaime that she knows he's her father, then collapses and dies in his arms.

With his brother Joffrey dead, young Tommen becomes the new king. Despite his young age, the good-natured Tommen attempts to be a good and fair king, although more often than not he's being pushed in one direction or another by Cersei or by Margaery. He marries Margaery, but soon realises the limits of his power when the Faith Militant make a play (empowered by Cersei), arresting both Margaery and her brother Loras — then, eventually, Cersei herself.

Tommen is able to free Margaery, and attempts to forge an alliance between the throne and the Faith Militant. He promises a "real" trial to Cersei and Loras, rather than a trial by combat. However, Cersei has other plans and blows up the Sept with wildfire, killing all the Tyrells and most of the high-ranking members of the Faith Militant. Horrified at the loss of all he holds dear (and the knowledge that Cersei was behind it), he takes off his crown and jumps to his death from his bedroom window.