content: '''Cersei Lannister''' 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'', where she is portrayed by English actress Lena Headey. In the later novels of the series, she is a point of view character.
  Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Cersei is a member of House Lannister, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families on the continent of Westeros. She subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). She becomes a prominent point of view character in the novels beginning in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). The character will also appear in the forthcoming volume ''The Winds of Winter''.
  In the story, Cersei Lannister, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, is the wife of King Robert Baratheon. Her father arranged the marriage after his attempt to betroth her to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, as she wanted, failed. The Targaryen dynasty lost the war, and her father schemed his way into the role of a political counselor for the newly crowned King Robert. The Lannisters are the richest family in Westeros and helped him to win the Throne, which is why Robert agreed to a marriage between them. Cersei has a twin brother, Jaime, with whom she has been involved in an incestuous affair. All three of Cersei's children are Jaime's, which is unbeknownst to the king and causes a power struggle in the wake of his death known as the 'War of Five Kings'. Cersei's main character attributes are her lust for power and love for her children, whom she seeks to protect.
  Headey has received critical acclaim for her portrayal of the character on the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. She has been nominated for five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Headey and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. In season 5, a young version of the character is portrayed by Nell Williams in a flashback.