How did King Arthur meet his wife?

Answer 1

King Arthur had a wife named Guinevere, who left him for Lancelot, a knight.

There are some spelling variations in different legends.

Technically, she doesn't "leave" Arthur for Lancelot. The affair is exposed. Lancelot escapes, but Guinevere is taken to trial and is condemned to burn at the stake for high treason. (And Arthur seems more upset about losing the 13 knights that Lancelot killed in his escape than his wife's affair and imminent death.) Lancelot rescues her in the nick of time (even though he wavers about it) and takes her to his castle, Joyous Gard. And remarkably, despite Arthur's attempt to burn her, she returns to Arthur and remains a loyal wife to him and prudent queen while Arthur is oversees besieging Lancelot. She is not duped by Mordred's forged letters proclaiming Arthur's death. She did pretend to agree to marry Mordred, but that was to buy herself some time and gaining permission to go to London, where she immediately barricaded herself in a stronghold with men and provisions. (See what y'all are missing by not reading the whole thing?)

Answer 2

That would depend on which account you are reading.

In the Prose Lancelot an account is summarized that Arthur, in his early days, heard about the glory of King Leodagan the King of Carmelide in the islands of the West and tales of the beauty and virtue of his daughter Guenevere.

"You said that you would not rest until you had seen why the king and his daughter were so admired in all lands. You left your land in the care of others and traveled to the kingdom of Carmelide disguised as a squire, as were the knights traveling with you. There you served my lord the king from Christmas to Pentecost, and that day you carved the peacock at the Round Table and earned the praise of the hundred fifty knights who sat there. And my lord the king gave you the noblest wedding gift ever given, the Round Table, which is honored by so many men of value."

Nothing more is known of this account or of any carving of a peacock.

In the romance known as the Vulgate Merlin, Arthur, Merlin, and forty-one knights ride incognito to Carmelide to gain Guenevere's hand by Merlin's advice. King Leodagan is at that time at war with King Rion of Ireland and Denmark, and Arthur and his men offer their aid on the condition that they are not asked their origin. Arthur rescues King Leodagan from almost certain death before the walls of Carmelide, and Guenevere sees this from the walls. Later she serves Arthur within the hall, and King Ban, who is one of the disguised knights, tells King Leodagan that they are traveling from kingdom to kingdom seeking a wife for their leader.

Eventually, after further prowess by Arthur and his men, Leodagan openly offers his daughter in marriage to Arthur. Merlin accepts on Arthur's behalf, and after he betrothal ceremony reveals that Guenevere's betrothed is King Arthur of Britain. Thereupon, aided by Arthur and his men, King Leodagan and the Knights of the Round Table put King Rion and his army to flight.

After a campaign in Gaul, Arthur returns to Carmelide, and marries Guenevere in the city of Carohaise in Carmelide.

In another account of Arthur's early history, sometimes called the Post-Vulgate Merlin, Merlin advises Arthur that he should take a wife, and Arthur names Guenevere, first mentioned in this romance at this point. Merlin expresses doubts, and would offer another instead, except that Arthur is so fixed on Guenevere. Merlin then sets off with a large retinue to seek Guenevere's hand for Arthur. Leodegan is pleased, and offers the Round Table as dowry. Merlin accepts, and he and the Knights of the Round Table and Guenevere set out for London, where Arthur was at that time dwelling.

Then Arthur and Guenevere are married in the city of Camelot.

Another work, usually known as the Huth Merlin, begins with the Vulgate Merlin account, with only an extremely abridged account of the campaign against Rion. This is the version used by Sir Thomas Malory in his Le Morte d'Arthur account. but after the very beginning of Arthur's expedition to Carmelide, it jumps to the Post-Vulgate Merlin account.

Answer 3

Guinevere, Gwenhywfar, Guenumarra and other various spellings for Guinevere.

Answer 4

yes, he had 2 or 3