Who was the wife of King Arthur?

Guinevere was the wife and queen of King Arthur in Arthurian legend.

Known in Welsh tradition as Gwenhwyfar, Guinevere is usually portrayed as Arthur’s queen and one of the central figures in the Matter of Britain. Her character varies widely: some stories emphasize her dignity and political importance, while others focus on betrayal, abduction, romance, and the destruction of Arthur’s kingdom.

The earliest datable literary mention appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae, written around 1136. Later French romances made her the daughter of King Leodegrance and connected her marriage to Arthur with the transfer of the Round Table. These romances also developed her tragic relationship with Sir Lancelot, Arthur’s greatest knight.

That affair is a common source of confusion: Guinevere is Arthur’s wife, but Lancelot is her famous lover in many later versions. Morgan le Fay is generally Arthur’s half-sister and an enchantress, not his wife. Elaine and Iseult belong to other strands of Arthurian or related romance. In many versions, Guinevere survives Arthur’s final conflict by retiring to a convent and living a life of penance.