Game of Thrones: The Shocking Secrets Unveiled at the Purple Wedding

HBO's Game of Thrones has a notorious reputation for its wedding ceremonies. While some portray the grandeur of royalty, these events often end in disaster for the guests or the bride and groom. One prominent example is the tragic Red Wedding, which is followed by the equally calamitous Purple Wedding. The reason behind the frequent misfortunes at these weddings is quite simple: Westeros is a treacherous land where political maneuvering takes precedence, and marriage is primarily a strategic tool. Lord Tywin, the head of the powerful House Lannister, made use of arranged marriages to strengthen his family's position, inadvertently causing harm to his adversaries.

If Edmure Tully's union with Roslin Frey had gone smoothly, the Starks of Winterfell would have formed an alliance with the Freys of the Twins. This could have potentially allowed Robb and his army to capture Lord Tywin's ancestral home, Casterly Rock, altering the outcome of the War of the Five Kings. However, Lord Tywin prevented this by colluding with the host of the wedding, Lord Walder Frey, who orchestrated the massacre of Robb Stark and his supporters during the wedding feast. The Red Wedding, famously depicted in Game of Thrones season 3, episode 9 "The Rains of Castamere," proved to be a major victory for the Lannisters. Conversely, the subsequent Purple Wedding ended up being detrimental to their interests.

Prelude to the Purple Wedding

In Game of Thrones season 2, episode 10 "Valar Morghulis," Joffrey breaks his promise to marry Sansa Stark and instead chooses Margaery Tyrell. This decision comes after his grandfather, Lord Tywin, wins the Battle of the Blackwater, leading to defeat for Stannis. Petyr Baelish forms an alliance between the Lannisters and the Tyrells, resulting in Joffrey appointing his grandfather as Hand of the King and giving Lord Baelish control of Harrenhal. Loras Tyrell introduces Margaery to Joffrey, causing him to set Sansa aside. As a result, preparations for Joffrey and Margaery's wedding ensue in King's Landing.

Littlefinger, who is now surrounded by the Tyrells, has secret plans up his sleeve. In "Valar Morghulis," he offers to help Sansa return home, but keeps his true intentions hidden. The Lannisters believe they have a stake in the North as Tywin arranges Sansa's marriage to his son, Tyrion. With two consecutive victories and the union between the Lannisters and Starks, anticipation builds in the capital for the grand royal wedding.

Joffrey Baratheon's Poisoning

The wedding depicted in Game of Thrones season 4, episode 2, "The Lion and the Rose," is a significant event. The marriage between Joffrey and Margaery takes place in the grand setting of the Great Sept of Baelor. Notable individuals in attendance include Cersei Lannister, along with her son Tommen Baratheon, Lord Tywin and Jaime Lannister, Lord Mace, Lady Olenna, and Ser Loras Tyrell. Other attendees include Oberyn Martell and his lover Ellaria Sand, Sansa, and Tyrion Lannister. The wedding festivities are not purely joyful, as Lady Olenna, Margaery's grandmother, displays little joy. Meanwhile, Sansa expresses her cynicism, declaring the arrival of a new queen. The Tyrells assume financial responsibility for the wedding due to the ongoing War of the Five Kings, and the Iron Bank demands their due payment.

During the wedding feast in "The Lion and the Rose," Lady Olenna approaches Sansa to offer her condolences. Nervously playing with her hair and necklace, she reflects on the horrors of killing a man during a wedding celebration and questions the nature of such a monstrous act. Sansa remains oblivious to Olenna's subtle manipulation as she removes a vial of poison hidden within Sansa's necklace. Olenna leaves Sansa with a thought-provoking remark, highlighting the fearsome implications of marriage for men, and extends an invitation for Sansa to visit Highgarden. Joffrey appears disinterested and bored throughout the feast, while Margaery experiences vicarious embarrassment as a result of his behavior.

The true spectacle unfolds when the arrogant king orchestrates a reenactment of the War of the Five Kings with a group of mischievous imps. Sansa silently broods at the grand table while Olenna openly reveals her disgust. Joffrey ridicules his uncle, Tyrion Lannister, and receives a veiled insult in return. In a fit of rage, he dumps wine over Tyrion's head and commands him to become his cupbearer. As Tyrion dutifully pours wine into Joffrey's goblet, or some such task, Margaery tries to divert his attention with their wedding pie. Just as Sansa and Tyrion are about to make their exit, Joffrey demands that his uncle serve him more wine. Succumbing to peer pressure, Joffrey takes a few more swigs and suddenly starts coughing uncontrollably, causing alarm among everyone in attendance.

Baelish And Olenna's Machinations

In Cersei's lap, the purple-faced Joffrey takes his last breath while Dontos Hollard covertly escorts Sansa away from King's Landing. As chaos ensues and panic seizes the bewildered attendees, Joffrey weakly points a finger at Tyrion, who gazes at the poisoned goblet in utter disbelief. Accusing him of her son's poisoning, Cersei commands her guards to apprehend Tyrion as the curtains close on Game of Thrones season 4, episode 2. Helplessly, Tyrion finds himself a captive of his own family – the same family he valiantly defended during the Battle of the Blackwater. Soon after, in "Breaker of Chains," the third episode of Game of Thrones season 4, Dontos Hollard leads Sansa onto a mysterious vessel under the watchful eye of Baelish. Once aboard, Baelish callously orders his men to eliminate Dontos, swiftly removing Sansa's necklace and crushing one of its gems, confessing that he had it specifically crafted only a few days prior.

Sansa wore the necklace to Joffrey's wedding because Ser Dontos had given it to her as a cherished family heirloom. Several seasons later in Game of Thrones season 7, episode 3 "The Queen's Justice," Jaime leads the attack on Highgarden and Olenna reveals to him her involvement in Joffrey's poisoning:

I would hate to die in the same manner as your son. Desperately clawing at my neck, with foam and bile pouring from my mouth, my eyes turning blood-red, and my skin becoming purple. I can only imagine how horrible it must have been for you, both as a Kingsguard and as a father. But it was equally dreadful for me. It was such a shocking scene, completely different from what I had initially intended. You see, I had never witnessed the effects of the poison before. Please inform Cersei that I want her to be aware that it was me who did this.

The Purple Wedding not only marks the end of Joffrey's rule, but also sets the stage for pivotal events in Game of Thrones, including the intense battle between the Mountain and the Viper, Tywin's demise, and Margaery's union with Joffrey's younger sibling, Tommen, among various others.