Mace Tyrell

"Not now, Mace, Lord Tywin and I are speaking!"

- Lord Mace Tyrell is chided by his mother, Olenna.

Lord Mace Tyrell was a recurring character in the fourth, fifth and sixth seasons. He was played by guest star Roger Ashton-Griffiths and debuted in "The Lion and the Rose".

Lord Mace Tyrell was the Lord of Highgarden and head of House Tyrell. He was the father of Loras and Margaery Tyrell, and the son of Olenna Tyrell. He initially supported Renly Baratheon's claim to the Iron Throne in the War of the Five Kings, but after Renly's death he successfully negotiated an alliance with House Lannister to support King Joffrey's claim to the throne, on the condition that his daughter Margaery would marry Joffrey, making her the new queen and giving House Tyrell the prestige of entering into the royal bloodline. He was appointed both Master of Ships and Master of Coin in King Tommen's Small Council before dying in the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor.

Background
Mace Tyrell is the Lord of Highgarden and head of House Tyrell, one of the Great Houses of Westeros. He is the Lord Paramount of the Reach and Warden of the South. The Tyrells are one of the richest and most powerful families in Westeros, second only to the Lannisters - for while the mountains of the Westerlands possess rich gold mines, the fields of The Reach are the most fertile in Westeros, capable of supporting armies almost twice the size of any other kingdom.

Mace is not considered a great strategist or general himself - his own mother Olenna openly describes him as an oaf. On the other hand, he has shown good judgment in delegating such tasks to trusted, skilled subordinates, such as the famous general Randyll Tarly, who often commands Mace's forces in battle.

Mace might not be the most intelligent man, but he is an amiable fellow well-liked by most of his bannermen, as well a loving husband and father. Mace has one son, Loras, and a daughter, Margaery, arguably the most eligible woman in the Seven Kingdoms. Mace hopes to make a good match for her to increase the already considerable power and influence of his family. Mace is particularly eager for Margaery to secure a royal marriage for their family because unlike some of the other Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms such as the Starks or Lannisters, the Tyrells never ruled as kings in their own right, but were granted control of the Reach as a reward for submitting to Aegon the Conqueror during the Targaryen Conquest three hundred years ago. Thus entering into the royal bloodline would increase House Tyrell's prestige and secure their rule over their fractious vassals in the Reach.

During Robert's Rebellion, Mace and House Tyrell stayed loyal to House Targaryen. The Tyrells owed their rule over Highgarden and the Reach to the Targaryen kings, who after the Targaryen Conquest three centuries before had awarded rule of the Reach to the Tyrells ahead of other families from the region which actually had better claims (such as House Florent). The Tyrell armies were able to inflict the only defeat that Robert Baratheon suffered during the entire war at the Battle of Ashford. Afterwards, Mace's massive army moved east to lay siege to the mighty castle-seat of the Baratheons, Storm's End. The Siege of Storm's End lasted the better part of a year, while Mace and his commanders feasted in sight of the starving garrison led by Robert's younger brother Stannis. Ultimately Stannis's determined defense held, and the siege only succeeded in pinning down Mace's army and preventing it from assisting the Targaryens in the climactic battles occurring further north. After the Sack of King's Landing, Eddard Stark rode south with the main rebel army to relieve the siege. With the capital city in rebel hands, and both Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and his father Mad King Aerys dead, Mace saw that the war was clearly lost and gave no battle to Lord Eddard. Instead he peacefully dipped his banners and submitted to Robert's rule, and in return was treated leniently, pardoned, and allowed to continue ruling the Reach as his family had before the war. However, ever since there was never any great love between Mace Tyrell and Stannis Baratheon.

Season 1
Ser Loras tells Renly that his father would support Renly's claim to the Iron Throne. Renly rejects the notion, pointing out he is fourth in line to the throne, but Loras explains that he could fight for Renly and his father would bankroll their armies. Renly seems more intrigued by the notion and later accepts the plan, though he fails to win the support of Lord Eddard Stark. Along with Loras, Renly flees the city of King's Landing and heads south towards the Tyrell homelands. It is later reported that Renly has been crowned king, with the full support of Lord Mace Tyrell and his forces.

Season 2
Davos Seaworth mentions to Stannis Baratheon that Lord Mace is amongst the many lords that have declared for Renly Baratheon.

After Renly's death, the Tyrells enter into a new alliance with King Joffrey and House Lannister, instead of siding with Renly's brother Stannis, who is correctly suspected of having something to do with Renly's death.

Season 3
Lord Mace is mentioned by his mother, Lady Olenna Tyrell, in conversation with Sansa Stark. She describes him as "a ponderous oaf" who rushed into a treasonous alliance with Renly and a dangerous one with the Lannisters just to see his daughter become queen.

Lady Olenna mentions him again some weeks later when in the Great Sept of Baelor with Cersei. She says that Mace enjoys hunting because it hides the fact that he's never been in a real battle. Cersei expresses surprise, as Lord Mace is well known to have besieged Storm's End for over a year during Robert's Rebellion. Lady Olenna dismisses her son's role, as "all he laid siege to was the banquet table in the command tent."

Season 4
Mace presents Joffrey with a magnificent golden chalice with seven facets, one for each of the major houses in the Seven Kingdoms. He encourages his daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law to both "drink deep". Joffrey graciously accepts his gift. He gives away Margaery at the wedding before taking his place in the Great Sept of Baelor. Later on, as the party moves from the Sept to the reception feast outside the Red Keep, Mace tries to attract Tywin's attention, but Olenna quickly waves him away. Some time later, during the wedding feast, Mace is visibly upset by a mock reenactment of the War of the Five Kings in which the dwarf representing Renly Baratheon rides a bare-bottom figure meant to represent Loras.

After Tyrion Lannister is arrested for the assassination of King Joffrey, Lord Tyrell accepts Tywin's proposal to be one of the judges for Tyrion's forthcoming trial, the other two being Tywin himself and Prince Oberyn Martell.

Mace later attends the coronation of Tommen Baratheon.

Alongside Tywin and Oberyn, Mace sits as a judge during the trial of Tyrion Lannister. He is shocked when he learns that Shae was Tyrion's whore as well as handmaiden to Sansa Stark and about the words that Tyrion said to his sister, about that she will lose everything eventually. The trial is brought to an end when Tyrion demands a trial by combat.

Mace is present during Tyrion's trial by combat and witnesses Oberyn's gruesome death at the hands of Gregor Clegane.

Season 5
Mace Tyrell is one of the many lords present at Tywin Lannister's wake.

Some time later, Lord Mace attends a meeting of the Small Council. Like Grand Maester Pycelle and Kevan Lannister, he is somewhat disturbed to see that Cersei has appointed Qyburn to replace Varys. He nonetheless hastily puts himself forward as a candidate for Hand of the King, but Cersei declares that he is instead to be jointly appointed Master of Ships and Master of Coin.

Mace Tyrell is present during the wedding ceremony of Tommen Baratheon and his daughter Margaery. Later, Mace and the rest of the Small Council listen to the High Septon demand the arrest of all members of the Sparrows and execution of the High Sparrow. He is shocked to hear a man who is the head of the Faith of the Seven was visiting a brothel.

In a Small Council meeting Mace reveals that the Iron Bank has called in one tenth of the Crown's debts. When asked by Cersei, Mace admits that the Crown can not pay back more than half of the demanded sum. When Mace offers that House Tyrell could lend the needed money to the Iron Throne, Cersei politely refuses, stating that the Tyrells have already given too much. She then tasks Mace with personally travelling to Braavos to negotiate better terms with the Iron Bank. She also tells Mace that the king, concerned for his father-in-law's safety, has assigned Ser Meryn Trant to escort Mace to Braavos. Mace and Meryn leave immediately, prompting Pycelle to state that the Small Council grows smaller and smaller.

After arriving in Braavos, he is greeted by Tycho Nestoris who welcomes him in the name of the Iron Bank. On the way to the Iron Bank, he talks with Tycho about the harvest in the Reach and King Maegor III who once outlawed moneylending. Unbeknownst to all of them, they are followed by Arya Stark, who recognised Ser Meryn. Arriving at the Iron Bank, Mace admires the facade of the enormous building, stating that the men of the Iron Bank are the world's best gamblers, much to Tycho's disapproval. After an unspecified time of negotiation, Tycho tries to bid farewell to Mace (whom he clearly dislikes due to his bumbling behaviour), but Mace does not realize this and continues plaguing Tycho on the way to the docks, loudly singing.

At night, while following Trant, Arya overhears Meryn telling two Lannister soldiers how poorly he thinks of Mace and the Tyrells, going as far as calling them traitors.

Season 6
Mace returns to King's Landing and attends a Small Council meeting to discuss his children's imprisonment, which is soon interrupted by Jamie, Cersei, and Gregor Clegane. When Cersei questions Olenna Tyrell's presence, Mace begins to defend his mother, but she quickly speaks for herself. Mace rises and follows his mother and Kevan Lannister when they leave the chamber.

Later, Mace leads Tyrell troops through King's Landing, meeting Jaime Lannister and pausing to give a rather pompous speech. They proceed to the Sept of Baelor to stop Margaery's walk of atonement and free both his children. Lady Olenna also joins them. After Jaime and the High Sparrow square off and Tommen emerges from the sept, Olenna signals Mace to stand down his men. After the King gives a speech, Mace is baffled and asks his mother what's happening. She tells him the High Sparrow has beaten them.

Mace is present when King Tommen makes a royal announcement regarding the date of both Cersei and Loras's trials and that the practice of trial by combat is abolished. Mace is visibly uncomfortable during the king's speech but does not speak.

Mace is present at his son Loras's trial in the Sept of Baelor. He is visibly distraught when Loras joins the Faith and has the symbol of the Seven carved into his forehead, but Margaery restrains him. He, Margaery, Loras, and everyone present at the trial die from the explosion of wild fire planted by Cersei in her to plot destroy the High Sparrow and his followers. Despite having constantly belittled and mocked her son's lack of intelligence, Olenna is clearly grieved by his death, as well as those of Margaery and Loras- which drives her to seek alliance with both Dorne and Daenerys Targaryen, in order to gain vengeance against Cersei.

Quotes
"My friends, the hour has come. Madness has overtaken this city and grasped in its claws my children. But now we must drive it back under the rocks whence it came. Madness has had its day!"
 * Spoken by Mace

- Mace rallies his troops as they prepare to lay siege to the Great Sept of Baelor.


 * Spoken about Mace

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Lord Mace Tyrell is described as hungry for power and something of a braggart, claiming the victory of Randyll Tarly over Robert Baratheon in the Battle of Ashford as his own, even though the battle was over before he even arrived. Mace is not particularly intelligent - his own mother describes him as an oaf - and may be more of a figurehead for the more intelligent and scheming members of his family, a trait the series exaggerates. He is handsome and a once powerful looking man, but has since turned to fat. Nonetheless, he is a kind ruler and loving father, resulting in him being well-liked and respected by his children and his subordinates in the Reach.

According to George R.R. Martin, Mace Tyrell and his mother Olenna are aware of Loras's sexuality. Neither of them seem to be bothered by it.

During the early stages of the War of the Five Kings, Mace Tyrell is named Hand of the King by Renly Baratheon. When Tywin leads the Tyrell forces on King's Landing during the Battle of Blackwater, Mace commands the left field and is rewarded with the title of Master of Ships, a position left vacant since Stannis Baratheon fled to Dragonstone. He is present on the Small Council throughout A Storm of Swords (Seasons 3 and 4 of the show), with Lords Paxter Redwyne and Mathis Rowan serving as advisors.

After Tywin's death, Lord Tyrell suggests to Cersei that he would be honored to be Tommen's Hand, yet Cersei refuses and names Ser Harys Swyft instead, a patsy and potential hostage as Kevan Lannister's father by law, instead of leaving the position vacant. Mace also offers his uncle Garth "the Gross" Tyrell as Master of Coin, a choice he had discussed with Tywin, but Cersei lies that she had already offered the position to Gyles Rosby. Mace's position as Master of Ships is given to Aurane Waters, a bastard of House Velaryon who had been taken hostage after the Battle of the Blackwater and bent the knee to Joffrey. Mace doesn't return to the small council until later in the story, and he isn't sent to dealt with the Iron Bank; this task is given to Harys Swyft, who is made Master of Coin after Gyles Rosby's untimely death. However, Cersei does consign Mace to a mission away from King's Landing in order to get rid of him for a while, so that she can scheme against the Tyrells more freely, but it is to siege and retake Storm's End. However, after Margaery is imprisoned on false charges, Mace returns to King's Landing to free her. Following Cersei's disgrace, Mace is appointed Hand of the King by Kevan Lannister in an attempt to appease House Tyrell and mend the damage Cersei has done.

These plotlines were condensed in the TV series, so that TV-Mace simply takes the place of Harys Swyft as the new Master of Coin (rather than introduce another large set of characters). George R.R. Martin himself has noted that Mace in the TV series seems to be a condensation of book-Mace with book-Harys Swyft, given that TV-Mace is portrayed as a jovial buffoon - and as he noted, in the book version, Harys Swyft is unintelligent but Mace Tyrell is not. On the other hand, in the Season 5 Blu-ray commentary, writer Bryan Cogman half-jokingly said that TV-Mace is anything but an imbecile, and he only plays the fool - what Cogman called "an I, Claudius thing", pretending to be a useless buffoon in order to trick his rivals into thinking he is harmless. Whether Cogman was being serious or not is of course unclear, though it would match Martin's well-known love for I, Claudius and his use of the trope in which a character pretends to be less dangerous than they actually are (a trick used by all three of the mainstays on the Small Council in Season 1: Pycelle, Varys, and Littlefinger).