Alfred Lord Tennyson – Idylls of the King at Lincoln Castle

As part of this year’s theme, The Chronicles of Lincoln Castle, we are delighted to display a selection of beautiful illustrations from Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Like many of the stories connected to Lincoln Castle, these works explore themes of power, loyalty, conflict and legacy—stories that have been retold and reimagined across generations.

From Medieval folklore to modern film and literature, the legends of King Arthur, the Round Table and Excalibur have remained part of Britain’s cultural imagination for centuries. Tennyson’s Idylls of the King brought these ancient tales to new Victorian audiences through twelve epic poems.
Born in Somersby in 1809, Lord Alfred Tennyson began writing at an early age and was appointed Poet Laureate by Queen Victoria in 1850. He developed a close friendship with Prince Albert, to whose memory Idylls of the King was later dedicated.

The poems retell the triumphs and failings of King Arthur and his court, his knights, Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. These tales of chivalry span the length of Arthur’s reign, presenting the undoing of Arthur’s kingdom as an inevitable effect of sin (in this case, the betrayal of Arthur by Guinevere). In the Victorian period these Arthurian tales were seen not only as entertainment, but also as reflections on society, morality and leadership.

Today, these illustrations form another chapter in the ongoing chronicles of Lincoln Castle—connecting Medieval legend, Victorian imagination and contemporary audiences through stories that continue to endure.rally in the Castle grounds.