cynicalclassicist asked: Hi there Turtle-Paced, love reading your Stannis and Renly analysis! Some people claim Renly didn't know about the incest as after Robert's death he would have no reason to hide it as it makes his claim stronger. How would you react to that?

With bemusement. The incest information makes Stannis’ claim far and away the strongest, over and above Renly’s. It helps Stannis’ claim far more than it does Renly’s. Which is exactly why Renly only starts going “well it’s not like primogeniture is any good” when Catelyn finds out that there’s a nice legal line of succession here and she’s not talking to equal rebels at all.

On top of that, given Renly’s scheme to replace Cersei with Margaery, he had to know about the incest. Replacing Cersei is pretty well pointless for Renly and the Tyrells unless they can get her kids disinherited as well. Combined with that sudden change of tack upon Catelyn finding out, I think it’s clear that Renly knew.