User blog comment:It's Good to be the Queen/The Thrill is Gone/@comment-98.237.96.242-20130106183507

We don't know if a Golden Age followed Arthur's death or not. Gwen and Merlin were capable of giving Albion that for a period of time - Gwen's death and Merlin's disillusionment with politics. Since that cryptic lizard said Merlin has accomplished his goal, I assume that Gwen and Merlin did that.

None of the prophecies said that Arthur had to alive for the Golden Age. Arthur laid the foundations. I doubt Merlin would have managed to get Arthur approve magic without the events of Camlann. Merlin hadn't accomplished it in three years of peace, we have no reason to think that he would do it in the future.

If the Old Religion thrived again, the attacks on Camelot would have stopped. You would have still had wayward sorcerers, just as you had brigands, but good sorcerers could help hunt them down.