Why do you say Renly knew about Cersei x Jamie? Doesn’t he just tell Stannis that it’s a good excuse?

opinions-about-tiaras:

I had never considered this! Thank you, Steven. I had always just figured Renly had some sort of legal (or possibly violent) scheme up his sleeve to render Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella’s claims null and void. Like getting Robert and Cersei the Westerosi equivalent of an annulment, which would render their three kids bastards post hoc.

But this makes a lot more sense.

It also makes Renly look dumber in hindsight; he really mishandled Ned Stark, didn’t he.

Renly did not understand Ned Stark at all and handled him in exactly the wrong way: 

racefortheironthrone:

Discussed here.

But here’s the short version:

1. Before he married her, Renly was scheming to get Robert to replace Cersei with Margaery.
2. Mace and Loras went along with this plan. 
3. None of this actually benefits Renly or the Tyrells unless Cersei’s children could be disinherited as well.
4. The only way that Renly could promise that to Mace and Loras is if Renly knew about the adultery/incest, which would make Joffrey et al. bastards born of incest. 

But, and this is key, the moment Robert dies without having divorced Cersei and disinherited her kids, Renly can’t admit any of this because it makes Stannis the indisputable rightful heir to the Iron Throne. 

“Strike! Now, while the castle sleeps…get Joffrey away from his mother and take him in hand. Protector or no, the man who holds the king holds the kingdom. We should seize Myrcella and Tommen as well. Once we have her children, Cersei will not dare oppose us. The council will confirm you as Lord Protector and make Joffrey your ward.”

This is Renly talking to a man he personally saw resign the Handship rather than countenance the murder of a child, and his pitch is: let’s get a bunch of armed men and kidnap children.