After the downfall of Arthur's kingdom, Guinevere retired to a convent at Glastonbury. And, Lancelot found himself in the Holy Land protecting the Sites and pilgrims.

In the French Death of Arthur, in the English stanzaic Morte Arthure, and in Malory’s Le Morte Arthure, in short in almost all the medieval texts that focus on this matter, Lancelot returns to Brttain. Then in the French account he defeats Mordred’s two sons who are attempting to gain power over all of Britain. He then becomes a hermit (along with Bliobers and the former Archbishop of Canterbury according to French Death of Arthur). Lancelot’s half-brother Ector also joins him and becomes a hermit. According to Malory Lancelot is also joined by many other knights of his kin. Eventually Lancelot dies and is buried at his castle Joyouse Gard (Dolorous Gard). Then, according to Malory only, the remaining knights of his kin return to the practice of knighthood and go to the Holy Land. In many accounts Guinevere retreated to a nunnery and took the cloth when she heard that Arthur was returning (or had returned). According to most versions of the French Death of Arthur, she died soon before Lancelot’s return to Britain. But some versions have a different account in which she remains alive and Lancelot meets with her, to discover that she now blames the love between herself and Lancelot for Arthur’s fall, and she refuses to consider leaving the nunnery to go with Lancelot. Lancelot then declares that he will also take the cloth. In Jean de Preis’ Mer des Histories, composed near the end of the fourteenth century. Mordred, here called Mordrech, survives his last battle with Arthur. King Lanchelot del Lac and his vassal Carados of Little Britain cross the sea to make war on Mordrech. This looks like a variant on the story in the French Death of Arthur where Lancelot wars against Mordred’s sons. Lanchelot besiges and captures London and executes Genevre. He then shuts up Mordrech with Genevre’s corpse. Mordrech surives for a short time by eating Genevre’s corpse, but then dies of starvation. Lanchelot gives the crown to Constantin son of Carados, and becomes a hermit. (In other accounts Constantine is son of Cador of Cornwall, not a son of Carados/Caradoc.) When he was 177 years old, Lanchelot came to Paris and spoke of his knightly exploits.