- This article is about the Round Table owned by King Arthur Pendragon. For the Round Table owned by the Ancient Kings of Camelot, see: Ancient Round Table.
- “Noble Knights of Camelot, countrymen, friends. I welcome you all to this meeting of the Round Table.”
- — Arthur Pendragon[src]
The Royal Round Table is a large, circular wooden table owned by King Arthur Pendragon. It is modeled after the round table once used by the ancient kings of Camelot, which was designed to reflect their view of equality in all things.
History
Arthur had his round table constructed in the aftermath of the Second Fall of Camelot. He frequently used it as a place to hold counsel with his knights, advisors, and other important figures (Arthur's Bane, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon, The Hollow Queen, The Diamond of the Day).
The table was damaged and had to be repaired after Uther's spirit caused a chandelier to fall on it (The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).
Arthur and Sarrum of Amata met at the Round Table to sign a treaty that would establish an alliance between their kingdoms. Sarrum was assassinated, however, before the signing could take place (The Hollow Queen).
Appearances
- Series 5
- Arthur's Bane: Part One
- The Death Song of Uther Pendragon
- The Hollow Queen
- With All My Heart (Mentioned only)
- The Diamond of the Day: Part One
Trivia
- After the Round Table was constructed between series 4 and 5, the Knights of Camelot were sometimes referred to as the "Knights of the Round Table" (Arthur's Bane, With All My Heart).
In the Legend
The Round Table was a famed circular table in Arthurian Legend around which King Arthur and his Knights congregated. The table had no head, which implied that everyone who sat at it had equal status.
The first written record of the Round Table appears in Wace's 1155 poem Roman de Brut, in which Arthur was said to have created the table to prevent quarrels among his barons, none of whom would accept a lower place than the others.
In other legends, such as Robert de Boron's 1190 poem Merlin, the wizard Merlin created the Round Table in imitation of the table of the Last Supper and of Joseph of Arimathea's Holy Grail table. This table (made for Arthur's father Uther Pendragon rather than Arthur himself), had twelve seats and one empty place to mark the betrayal of Judas. This seat was to remain empty until the coming of the knight would achieve the Grail.