Guinevere facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Guinevere
Matter of Britain character
Guinevere watching the mortally wounded Arthur being sailed off to Avalon in Queen Guinevere by James Archer (c. 1860)
Information
Occupation	High Queen of Britain Later tradition: Queen of Logres and Britain (or England), convent head
Title	Princess, Queen, Mother Superior
Family	Varied, including her father and her sister
Spouse(s)	Arthur, occasionally also Mordred
Children	Usually none, occasionally a son with Arthur or children with Mordred
Relatives	Varied, including a cousin
Religion	Christian
Nationality	British
Home	Malory version: Cameliard, Camelot, Tower of London, Amesbury Priory

Guinevere was the wife of King Arthur in the famous Camelot stories. She is a very important character in the legends. A big part of her story is her secret love for Lancelot. Lancelot was Arthur's very close friend and his greatest knight.

Guinevere's Story in Legends
Images for kids
See also

Guinevere's Story in Legends

A scene before Guinevere is taken by Maleagant: "How Queen Guenever rode a maying into the woods and fields beside Westminster."
Arthur Rackham's illustration from The Romance of King Arthur (1917)

In old French stories from the 1200s, Guinevere is the daughter of King Leodegrance. Her father had served Arthur's own father, Uther Pendragon. Leodegrance was given the famous Round Table after Uther's death.

Leodegrance's kingdom was often near a city in France called Carhaise. Arthur helped Leodegrance by defeating King Rience in battle. This is how Arthur first met the young Guinevere. Soon after, Arthur and Guinevere were married. Arthur received the Round Table as a gift from Guinevere's father. This version of the story says they married early in Arthur's time as king.

Lancelot and Guinevere by Herbert James Draper (c. 1890)

King Arthur's sister Morgan shows him a room where Lancelot had painted about his feelings for Guinevere. This is from a French story called La Mort du roi Arthur.

When a mysterious knight, Lancelot, arrived, Guinevere was immediately interested. Lancelot was young and became one of the Queen's Knights. He was knighted by Guinevere herself.

After Lancelot saved Guinevere from a knight named Maleagant, their feelings grew. With help from others, they became secretly involved. Lancelot was very devoted to Guinevere. He did many heroic deeds in her honor. He would send knights he defeated to her for forgiveness.

The Rescue of Guinevere by William Hatherell (1910)

Arthur's Tomb (The Last Meeting of Launcelot and Guenevere) by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1855)

The Affair is Discovered

Guinevere's enemy, the enchantress Morgan le Fay, was Arthur's half-sister. Morgan eventually revealed Guinevere and Lancelot's secret. Lancelot had to fight his way out, killing some of Arthur's knights.

Arthur felt he had to punish his wife. He sadly sentenced Guinevere to be burned. Arthur knew Lancelot would try to save her. So, he sent many knights to guard the execution. However, Sir Gawain refused to take part.

Lancelot arrived with his family and followers. They rescued the queen. In the fight, Gawain's unarmed brothers, Gaheris and Gareth, were killed. This made Gawain very angry. He pushed Arthur to fight Lancelot directly.

The End of Camelot

When Arthur went to France to fight Lancelot, he left Guinevere in the care of Mordred. Mordred was Arthur's nephew. Mordred planned to marry Guinevere himself and take Arthur's throne.

In some stories, Guinevere agrees to Mordred's plan. But in the Lancelot tales, she hides in the Tower of London. She survived Mordred's attack there. Later, she found safety in a nun convent.

When Arthur heard of Mordred's betrayal, he returned to Britain. He fought and killed Mordred at Camlann. But Arthur was badly wounded. He was taken to the magical island of Avalon.

After Arthur's death, Guinevere went to live in a convent. She felt very sorry for her actions. Her sorrow was deep and lasting. Lancelot tried to convince her to leave with him, but she refused. Guinevere met Lancelot one last time. She would not even kiss him. She then returned to the convent. She spent the rest of her life there as an abbess. She was sad, which was very different from her earlier happy nature. After she died, Lancelot buried her next to Arthur's grave.

Guinevere in Books

Guinevere appears in many books. Writers often imagine her story in new ways.

In the Deverry Cycle book Darkspell, Gweniver is a warrior priestess. She is a brave war leader and a fierce fighter.
In Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, Gwenhwyfar has a difficult childhood. This makes her feel insecure and afraid of open spaces. She struggles to have a child with Arthur. She also cannot be with Lancelot, the love of her life. She becomes very sad and turns to Christianity for comfort. This book helped make the Welsh spelling "Gwenhwyfar" popular.
Guinevere is a character in Gerald Morris' The Squire's Tales. She starts as Arthur's new queen. She ends the series as Sister Arthur, living peacefully in a convent.
Bernard Cornwell's The Warlord Chronicles shows Guinevere as a princess from North Wales. She is a strong follower of the Egyptian goddess Isis. She does not like Christianity. She wants to be queen of Dumnonia by marrying Arthur. In these books, she causes a civil war. She also works with Lancelot against Arthur. But later, they make up. She helps Arthur win a big battle. After Arthur is wounded, she and her son go with him into exile.
In Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry, Jennifer/Guinevere is a main character. She is shown as very brave, strong, and loving.

Guinevere in Other Media

Guinevere has also appeared in many movies, TV shows, and games.

Ellen Terry as Guinevere costume by Burne-Jones

Ellen Terry as Guinevere in the 1895 play King Arthur. Portrait by Sir Edward Burne-Jones.

A 1961 photo of Robert Goulet as Lancelot and Julie Andrews as Guenevere in the musical Camelot

In the 1895 play King Arthur, Guinevere was played by Ellen Terry.
She is a main character in the 1960 Broadway musical Camelot. Julie Andrews first played her. Vanessa Redgrave played her in the 1967 movie.
"Guinnevere" is a song written in 1968 by David Crosby. It appeared on the Crosby, Stills and Nash debut album.
Cherie Lunghi played Guinevere in the 1981 movie Excalibur.
In the 1983 comic series Camelot 3000, Guinevere is reborn as Commander Joan Acton. She reunites with King Arthur to defend Earth.
Kathleen Barr voiced Queen Guinevere in the 1992 cartoon King Arthur and the Knights of Justice.
Sheryl Lee played her in the 1994 TV movie Guinevere.
In the 1994 cartoon Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders, Gwenevere is the main hero.
Julia Ormond played Guinevere in the 1995 film First Knight.
Lena Headey played Guinevere in the 1998 TV miniseries Merlin.
Samantha Mathis played Gwenhwyfar in the 2001 TV miniseries The Mist of Avalon.
In the 2002 TV series Guinevere Jones, Guinevere is reborn as the main character Gwen Jones. She is played by Tamara Hope.
In the 2004 film King Arthur, Keira Knightley played Guinevere. She is shown as a Pictish princess.
Morwenna Banks voiced her in the 2005 cartoon King Arthur's Disasters.
In the 2005 French TV series Kaamelott, Guinevere is a funny and kind queen. She is played by Anne Girouard.
Guinevere, or Gwen, appears in the 2007 animated film Shrek the Third. She is a student at Worcestershire Academy.
In the 2008 TV series Merlin, Guinevere (called "Gwen") is played by Angel Coulby. She is a blacksmith's daughter and a maid to Morgana.
Tamsin Egerton played Guinevere in the 2011 TV series Camelot.
In the 2016 video game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Guinevere is a playable character. She is Lancelot's sister and is in a relationship with Gusion Paxley.
Elyse Levesque played Guinevere in the 2016 TV series Legends of Tomorrow.
In the 2020 TV series Cursed, Bella Dayne plays a Viking warrior named Red Spear, who is also Guinevere.
In the 2020 cartoon Wizards: Tales of Arcadia, Guinevere is Morgana's friend. Her accidental death by Arthur makes Morgana turn evil.
Kate Dickie played Guinevere in the 2021 film The Green Knight.
In the 2022 video game Guinevere, she is the main character. She has visions of Camelot's downfall. Players can choose for her to romance Arthur or Lancelot.
Jordan Alexandra plays Guinevere in the 2023 TV series The Winter King. This show is based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell.

Images for kids

Guinevere by Henry Justice Ford (c. 1910)
Lady Guinevere, Howard Pyle's illustration for The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903)
Guinevere Takes Refuge in a Convent, Edmund H. Garrett's illustration for Legends of King Arthur and His Court (1911)
Guinevere with Enid and Vivien by George and Louis Rhead (1898)
Guinevere and Iseult by William Morris (1862)
"Winlogee" depicted on the Italian Modena Archivolt (c. 1120-1240)
Meigle stone detail
The Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. 1874 photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron.