Editing King Leodegrance

{{Short description|Father of Guinevere in Arthurian legend}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
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'''King Leodegrance''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|iː|oʊ|d|ᵻ|ɡ|r|æ|n|s}}, sometimes '''Leondegrance''', '''Leodogran''', or variations thereof, is the father of Queen [[Guinevere]] in [[Arthurian legend]]. His kingdom of [[Cameliard]] (or Carmelide) is usually identified with Cornwall but may be located in Breton [[Cornouaille]] near the town of [[Carhaix-Plouguer]], which is the Carhaise of [[Post-Vulgate Cycle|''L'Histoire de Merlin'']] (13th century). 

Leodegrance had served [[Uther Pendragon]], [[King Arthur]]'s biological father and regnal predecessor. Leodegrance was entrusted with the keeping of the [[Round Table]] at Uther's death. When Guinevere marries Arthur, Leodegrance gives the young king the table as a wedding present. In later romance Leodegrance is one of the few kings who accept Arthur as his overlord. For this, his land is invaded by the rebel king [[Rience]], but Arthur comes to his rescue and expels the enemy. Arthur meets Guinevere for the first time during this excursion, and they develop a love that eventually results in their fateful marriage.

According to the [[Lancelot-Grail]] prose cycle, Leodegrance fathered a second daughter out of wedlock; he also names this child Guinevere. The "False Guinevere" later treacherously convinces Arthur's court that she is his real wife and her sister is an impostor, forcing the real queen and her lover [[Lancelot]] into hiding with their friend [[Galehaut]]. Guinevere eventually returns and reclaims her throne.

In [[Welsh mythology]], the father of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) is the giant '''Ogyruan'''/'''Ogyrvan''' or '''Gogyrfan''', who is mentioned in a number of [[Middle Welsh]] texts.<ref>Bromwich, Rachel (ed.). ''Trioedd Ynys Prydein''. Cardiff, revised ed. 1991.</ref>

==In popular culture==
Leodegrance was portrayed by [[Patrick Stewart]] in the 1981 film ''[[Excalibur (film)|Excalibur]]'' and by [[Daragh O'Malley]] in the 2011 television series ''[[Camelot_(TV_series)|Camelot]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Arthurian Legend}}

[[Category:Family of King Arthur]]
[[Category:Fictional characters introduced in the 13th century]]
[[Category:Knights of the Round Table]]
[[Category:Mythological kings]]
[[Category:Welsh giants]]

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