Renly Baratheon

Renly Baratheon is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. Introduced in 1996's A Game of Thrones, Renly is the youngest of the three sons of Lord Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Estermont, with his brothers Robert and Stannis Baratheon preceding him. He is the lord of Storm's End and lord paramount of the Stormlands. He served as master of laws in his eldest brother's small council before crowning himself king in the wake of Robert's death with the support of the Reach and the Stormlands, an act that helps kick off the War of Five Kings. This brings him into conflict with his surviving older brother, Stannis, whose claim is greater. Renly's homosexual relationship with Loras Tyrell is alluded to in the books and is made clearly evident in the television show. Both men are among Martin's most prominent LGBTQ characters, though Renly and Loras's adapted relationship and the show's portrayal of the latter has received mixed criticism. Renly Baratheon is portrayed by Gethin Anthony in the HBO television adaptation.