Why did Cersei wait so long to kill Robert?

[Floki of the Ironborn]

Once Joffrey was born, then Cersei has Robert's heir (far as anyone knows). That means Robert is no longer necessary, since Cersei has her hold on the royal house, and Tywin has his grandson to rule the Seven Kingdoms once he comes of age.

It would have been so easy to kill Robert, as it is when Cersei needs it to happen. Once she finds out about Ned's plans, she immediately carries out Robert's murder, and nobody suspects her of anything since he died as he lived.

So, why didn't she kill him sooner? She would have been queen, and King's Landing was full of Lannisters by that point. She had loyalists among the Kingsguard (and keep in mind, Jaime would have had no problem being the Queenmaker by that point; I could totally see him cutting down Jon Arryn or Robert's brothers if they got in the way. It would be easy to name them all traitors and have them executed for treason or even making them confess to having murdered Robert themselves. Tywin would be the new Hand, Joffrey grows up, and Cersei spends years securing her rule, all while Ned Stark and Hoster Tully are none the wiser. 

[Loose Bolt]

She had to wait until Arryn, Baratheon, Stark and Tully coalition ended. After all it was those houses that made Robert king. If she made her move when that alliance was active not even Tywin could have saved her. Naturally assuming that she was either too stupid or unlucky that leaders of that coalition would find out that she was a traitor by having incest babies and murdering her husband.

[Canon Claude]

20 minutes ago, Loose Bolt said:

She had to wait until Arryn, Baratheon, Stark and Tully coalition ended. After all it was those houses that made Robert king. If she made her move when that alliance was active not even Tywin could have saved her. Naturally assuming that she was either too stupid or unlucky that leaders of that coalition would find out that she was a traitor by having incest babies and murdering her husband.

Would they suspect her? I know Stannis was doubtful, but he didn’t really clue in until just before the events of ASOIAF. If there was only Joffrey, he’d have less reason to be suspicious. And besides, for all of Cersei’s stupidity, she really did a good job killing Robert in a way that nobody suspected her right away. And nobody that knew anything about Robert would find it odd that he died by accident at a hunt because he got too drunk to see straight.

[Vaegon the dragonless]

If I remenber correctly Cersei talks about waiting because she wanted to take care of Robert brother's before she offed him. That could explain the delay.

For me the ideal time would be soon after Tommen's birth, especially if Renly is not yet at court at that moment, it would leave Cersei in control of a heir and a spare with only the opposition of old Jon Arryn and Stannis. If Jon soon died of a cold or something none would be the wiser just like in the timeline we got (well if it was not for Littlefinger nobody would know). And Stannis is universally disliked branding him a traitor would be easy and chances are that he does not even suspect the incest at that moment.

It migth be a bit early and Robert migth not have been a drunk quite yet, but for me the earlier the better for Cersei.

[James Arryn]

Jon Arryn, not Robert, was actually ruling the realm and would certainly become the assumed regent, and would be pretty universally supported. Now being Jon Arryn, until he pieced the twincest together he would absolutely see himself as just the placeholder until Joffrey came of age, but Cersei doesn’t trust people to be more honourable than herself. 
 

Robert was pretty much doing what the Lannisters wanted, their power at court had been steadily growing while Robert was king, but killing Robert alone while Joff was still a minor wouldn’t put the reins in their hands. Once Joff had come of age, though, Robert’s clock was seriously ticking. 
 

edit: my initial impulse was to answer: ‘Because the pheasant, fox and deer all missed’.
 

 

[Craving Peaches]

As others have mentioned she wanted to off Stannis and Renly before killing Robert. I'm not sure if that was such a good idea because in the scenario where Jon Arryn, Stannis and Renly all died under mysterious circumstances I think even Robert would start to suspect something. Mind you if her plans to get rid of Renly and Stannis were as luck-based as her kill Robert with boar plan then there is a high chance they would fail and just make people even more suspicious anyway. But then Cersei is one of the worst plotters in the series.

She probably wanted Robert's brothers dead first to give their seats to her children.

[Frey family reunion]

5 hours ago, Vaegon the dragonless said:

If I remenber correctly Cersei talks about waiting because she wanted to take care of Robert brother's before she offed him. That could explain the delay.

For me the ideal time would be soon after Tommen's birth, especially if Renly is not yet at court at that moment, it would leave Cersei in control of a heir and a spare with only the opposition of old Jon Arryn and Stannis. If Jon soon died of a cold or something none would be the wiser just like in the timeline we got (well if it was not for Littlefinger nobody would know). And Stannis is universally disliked branding him a traitor would be easy and chances are that he does not even suspect the incest at that moment.

It migth be a bit early and Robert migth not have been a drunk quite yet, but for me the earlier the better for Cersei.

You are correct, from AFFC:

Quote

When had a Hand ever brought her anything but grief?  Jon Arryn put Robert Baratheon in her bed, and before he died he'd begun sniffing about her and Jaime as well.  Eddard Stark took up right where Arryn had left off, his meddling had forced her to rid herself of Robert sooner than she would have liked, before she could deal with his pestilential brothers.  

 

[Canon Claude]

5 hours ago, Vaegon the dragonless said:

If I remenber correctly Cersei talks about waiting because she wanted to take care of Robert brother's before she offed him. That could explain the delay.

For me the ideal time would be soon after Tommen's birth, especially if Renly is not yet at court at that moment, it would leave Cersei in control of a heir and a spare with only the opposition of old Jon Arryn and Stannis. If Jon soon died of a cold or something none would be the wiser just like in the timeline we got (well if it was not for Littlefinger nobody would know). And Stannis is universally disliked branding him a traitor would be easy and chances are that he does not even suspect the incest at that moment.

It migth be a bit early and Robert migth not have been a drunk quite yet, but for me the earlier the better for Cersei.

I was going to ask how she expected to (a) kill Stannis and Renly successfully and (b)) do it without drawing suspicion upon herself. But then I remembered this is Cersei, of course she didn’t have a real plan.

[John Suburbs]

12 hours ago, Floki of the Ironborn said:

Once Joffrey was born, then Cersei has Robert's heir (far as anyone knows). That means Robert is no longer necessary, since Cersei has her hold on the royal house, and Tywin has his grandson to rule the Seven Kingdoms once he comes of age.

It would have been so easy to kill Robert, as it is when Cersei needs it to happen. Once she finds out about Ned's plans, she immediately carries out Robert's murder, and nobody suspects her of anything since he died as he lived.

So, why didn't she kill him sooner? She would have been queen, and King's Landing was full of Lannisters by that point. She had loyalists among the Kingsguard (and keep in mind, Jaime would have had no problem being the Queenmaker by that point; I could totally see him cutting down Jon Arryn or Robert's brothers if they got in the way. It would be easy to name them all traitors and have them executed for treason or even making them confess to having murdered Robert themselves. Tywin would be the new Hand, Joffrey grows up, and Cersei spends years securing her rule, all while Ned Stark and Hoster Tully are none the wiser. 

It's not an easy thing to kill a king. And even then, she has to do it with clean hands. And Robert was such an absentee king, and father, anyway that for most of his reign there was no need to take the risk. 

[Vaegon the dragonless]

4 hours ago, Canon Claude said:

I was going to ask how she expected to (a) kill Stannis and Renly successfully and (b)) do it without drawing suspicion upon herself. But then I remembered this is Cersei, of course she didn’t have a real plan.

She definitaly dint have any plans for them, Tyrion's view on Cersei are correct. She as no patience, underestimates everyone and overestimates herself.

Her plan was most likely for Stannis to die from too much sulking and for Renly to be buggered to death by Loras....

[Victor Newman]

Robert gives her the status of queen.  His death will put Joffrey on the throne.  His future wife will become queen.  It benefited Cersei to keep Robert alive.  She only killed Robert when he might learn of the infidelity. 

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

Isn't it mentioned in AFFC that she was forced to get rid of Robert earlier than she would have wanted?

[sifth]

9 hours ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

Isn't it mentioned in AFFC that she was forced to get rid of Robert earlier than she would have wanted?

Ned basically forced her hand, when he threatened her. Though Varys mentioned she tried to kill him at the Hand's Tourney as well. Who knows if the latter is true or not though.

[BlackLightning]

Great replies, guys

To me, I think it's clear why Cersei waited so long to murder Robert. She needed a way to kill Stannis (I don't think she thought much of Renly until Renly started schmoozing with the Tyrells...which had to have happened after he came of age).

She can't kill Stannis as he's a cold, watchful and surly military man who lives on Dragonstone. He also doesn't engage in dangerous or unhealthy activities either. And say what you will about Selyse (and even Shireen) but I believe her being kept Stannis safe from Cersei. I can believe that Cersei would try to murder Stannis after Shireen contracted greyscale but it's next to impossible to fake a death by an illness like greyscale. Plus Shireen went into remission very quickly as I am understood.

And she can't kill Renly as he spent most of his time being raised by Cressen, Penrose, etc. at Storm's End or Dragonstone...she has no real access to Renly as he was in King's Landing less often than Stannis was.

22 hours ago, sifth said:

Though Varys mentioned she tried to kill him at the Hand's Tourney as well. Who knows if the latter is true or not though.

I believe it.

 

In the end, Cersei's inability to accomplish her political goals of assassination despite having years of opportunities (I know that the opportunities had had to present themselves) just shows how bad of a plotter she is. Her success in having Robert murdered was pure dumb luck with a side of stupidity and procrastination from Ned Stark. It had nothing to do with her.

She has a lot in common with Victarion.

 

[frenin]

On 8/11/2022 at 4:53 AM, Floki of the Ironborn said:

It would have been so easy to kill Robert, as it is when Cersei needs it to happen. Once she finds out about Ned's plans, she immediately carries out Robert's murder, and nobody suspects her of anything since he died as he lived.

 

Cersei's plan to kill Robert was a series of ill attempts jobs until the hail mary worked.

All in all, no, killing Robert would not have been easy. Besides the obvious fact that a dead Robert means a new king and a new queen, there's only so much power one has a dowager queen.

 

On 8/11/2022 at 4:53 AM, Floki of the Ironborn said:

and Tywin has his grandson to rule the Seven Kingdoms once he comes of age.

Jon Arryn becomes the regent, just as Ned did. Robert would not have it otherwise, besides the fact that them being the Hands are the default choice anyway.

 

 

On 8/11/2022 at 6:46 AM, Loose Bolt said:

She had to wait until Arryn, Baratheon, Stark and Tully coalition ended. After all it was those houses that made Robert king. If she made her move when that alliance was active not even Tywin could have saved her. Naturally assuming that she was either too stupid or unlucky that leaders of that coalition would find out that she was a traitor by having incest babies and murdering her husband.

That coalition would have protected her son's reign tho.

 

 

[C.T. Phipps]

One of the things I like about George R.R. Martin is that none of his characters are Grand Admiral Thrawn. Any problems with Cersei's planning is that she's not that good at this.